Masquerade
by MadameCissy
Summary: Malfoy Manor left her scarred but there is something she needs to understand. She has to go back and in doing so risks everything she ever had, including her own life. Bellatrix/Hermione & Narcissa/Hermione.
1. Chapter 1

_Days of absence, sad and dreary,  
Clothed in sorrow's __dark__ array,  
Days of absence, I am weary;  
She I __love__ is far away.__  
~William Shakespeare~_

~()~

**Prologue**

We were never meant to understand the foolish depths of our hearts. Things happen to us when we least expect it and most of those, we can never even begin to explain. We look upon a friend and see them in a different light one morning. Whether it was something in their eyes, the tone of their voice or just the way they smile. Or we look upon our enemy and find that not only hatred but also love can invade one's heart. Whether it is a voice, the way one looks at you, or simply the dark destiny of a heart you are never to understand. To be fooled is to realise weakness can be strength.

Because when you are forcefully taken from her side, in the arms of your friends, you realise the tears you weep are not just those of pain. In a second, just a moment, you have realised, you never wished to leave. Unexplainable as it may be, there is something. Something you have hidden. Denied. Lied about. Forgotten, or you never even knew it existed. The pain was intoxicating, lacing your blood with venomous poison that also crept inside your heart.

We were never meant to understand the foolish depths of our hearts. So, when you leave the safety of your new found shelter, you have no idea where you are going. All you know is that you are going back to where you most want to be.

Our hearts fool us into believing things we never knew. Our hearts are the sole players in an endless masquerade.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **After the events of Malfoy Manor, Hermione is left with the realisation something has been missing from her life for all this time. And being reunited with Ron and Harry and arriving at Shell Cottage, reminds her of that. So she has to choose between what she knows and what needs to be done or face was has been awoken inside herself and create a whole new destiny...

**Pairing: **Hermione/Bellatrix – Hermione/Narcissa

**Disclaimer: **Everything you recognise belongs to JKR. I am just using the parts I like.

**Timeline: **Partially DH compliant, but takes a different turn from the Malfoy Manor scene onwards.

**Note: **Yes, this is indeed pretty much the entire scene as seen in the Deathly Hallows movie (minus a few details) I think I am blessed with good memory, perhaps. I am using this scene and will add missing bits and pieces _– of my own creativity, of course_. Whether this will eventually develop into a multi chaptered story and how it will evolve, I have no idea...

~()~

_Masquerade!_  
_Seething shadows_  
_breathing lies._  
_Masquerade!_  
_You can fool_  
_any friend who_  
_ever knew you!_  
_~Masquerade - The Phantom Of The Opera~_

_~()~_

**Chapter 1: Malfoy Manor**

The night was dark and cold. The moon went hidden behind thick layers of grey and black clouds. Its silver glow could not penetrate the darkness and it was as if nature itself now breathed the permanent blackness that shrouded the world. The trees were bare, their leaves left in rotting piles on the ground, and empty branches reached up to the sky like bony fingers, clawing at something invisible.

Her heart was racing in her chest and she felt bile rise in the back of her throat as the large metal gates doomed up at the end of the lane. She could feel the intense darkness that lingered here. She felt fear radiate from Harry and Ron and tried to ignore the excited chatter coming from the Snatchers. But as they approached the gate, their voices began to die off. Even they feared what lay behind there. Behind the gates towered the immense shape of the Manor, its grey stone were still a sharp line against the velvet backdrop.

The Snatchers came to a halt when three figures appeared on the other side of the gate and Hermione felt her breath choke in the back of her throat. She recognised the darkest of the tree figures instantly and watched in horror as Bellatrix Lestrange approached the gate, pressing her face against the cold metal. One of the Snatchers brushed some of Harry's hair aside, showing the scar on his disfigured face. Her Stinging Jinx had made him unrecognisable in the face, but his scar was still there, stretched long his swollen skin.

"Call Draco!" Bellatrix hissed as the enchantments were lifted from the gate and they swung aside, revealing the Manor to its full extent.

The Snatcher had let go of her arm and Hermione walked alone. She shot nervous glances at Harry and Ron. They were wandless and she could see the despair flickering in their eyes. There was nothing they could do. They were at the mercy of the Malfoys and, more terrifying, Bellatrix Lestrange. She watched as the raven haired witch walked ahead of the group, her black dress rustling against the gravel. The other two figures belonged to her sister Narcissa and to Narcissa's husband, Lucius. And it had been in his eyes that she has seen excitement gloom, though different from the excitement in Bellatrix's eyes. Lucius' excitement had been laced with... hope.

The Manor was cold and dreary and somehow she had not expected anything different. Her knees almost buckled as she walked up the stairs to the second floor. There, they stepped into the drawing room and Bellatrix spun around, hurrying towards Harry. Her fingers closed around his arm before anyone could move and she dragged him along with her, forcing him down on his knees. She yanked his head up by grabbing a fistful of hair and Hermione watched as Draco appeared in the room. His parents had called for him. Bellatrix smiled. There was something disturbing about seeing the dark haired Death Eater smile.

Lucius approached his son, a glass of what seemed to be bourbon in his hand. A hand now rested on Draco's shoulder and he whispered something to him Hermione couldn't hear. But she suspected it had to be something about him identifying harry. Her eyes shot from Lucius and Draco to his wife. Narcissa stood a few steps behind them, watching the situation closely, and she now hurried towards her husband and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lucius!" she hissed and he let go of Draco like stung by a bee.

Bellatrix had leapt back to her feet and grasped Draco's hand. Hermione felt her stomach tighten at the display of excitement and she watched as Bellatrix encouraged Draco to tell her whether the disfigured person at her feet was indeed Harry Potter, the boy Voldemort was so desperate to kill. The room became colder as the seconds began to pass. Draco scrutinised Harry's face and his reluctance was palpable in the room.

"What happened to his face?" Draco questioned.

Hermione felt a jolt of pride. Her Stinging Jinx had had a good effect. She shot a nervous glance at Ron, who stared at the floor. Her eyes were then drawn back to Bellatrix and found the dark witch was staring at her. She was _looking _at her, almost as if she was seeing through her. Hermione wanted to avert her eyes but her gaze was frozen. She couldn't look away from her. She was mesmerized, horrified and intrigued by the female Death Eater and followed her with her eyes as she walked.

"Yes, what _did _happen to his face?" Bellatrix parroted Draco's question and her eyes now fixed on the Snatchers instead of Hermione.

"We found him like that. Must've been something he picked up in the forest" barked one of the Snatchers in return. It was clear none of them appreciated the tone in which they were spoken to. The contemptuous looks given to them by the Malfoys and Bellatrix had not remained unnoticed. And Hermione suspected the Snatchers hated the Malfoys and Bellatrix as much as they did.

"Or he walked into a Stinging Jinx" Bellatrix suddenly said and Hermione's eyes snapped up to the raven haired Death Eater's face. It was clear she had been expecting it because the corners of her lips curled up into another demonic smile and she approached Hermione. "Was it you?" Her eyes lingered on Hermione's somewhat frail frame and she then glanced at one of the Snatchers. "Give me her wand! We'll see what her last spell was!"

Just as she was about to take the wand from the Snatcher to Hermione's right, Bellatrix's eye fell on something else. Something that frightened her beyond belief. Her charcoal eyes widened and suddenly the room temperature dropped even more. Hermione felt a cold shiver creep up and down her spine and she glanced at Harry, who had been left on the floor. He was tired and weak and broken.

"What's that? Where did you get that?" Bellatrix shrieked and pointed at the Snatcher clutching Godric Gryffindor's sword. She jumped from one foot onto the other, twirling her wand through her fingers.

"Found it in her bag when we searched her. Reckon its mine now" he answered rather calmly.

It happened so fast that hardly anyone had time to react. Bellatrix hexed the Snatcher so fast Hermione couldn't even blink to the speed of her spell. He dropped to the ground, releasing the sword. She then turned on the other Snatchers and sent spells and hexes their way. She caught Greyback fighting for air.

Before Hermione could blink or even think about reacting, Narcissa stood in front of them, her wand aimed at her and Ron. Harry had been left in a whimpering mess on the floor. They stood pressed against the wall as the fairer haired witch's eyes swept across their faces. Hermione couldn't help but wonder how different they really were, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Though Narcissa was definitely skilled in the Dark Arts, she seemed less like her deranged sister. Her hair was a mixture of brown and blonde strands and it lacked the curls that Bellatrix had. Her eyes were as dark and Hermione recognised her sister in them.

"Are you mad?" someone called as Bellatrix continued her attempt to strangle one of the Snatchers and Hermione couldn't help but think that was exactly what Bellatrix was. Mad. She kicked the Snatcher while he was down and her voice filled the room once more.

"GO!" she shrieked in desperation and the Snatchers needn't hear that command twice. Greyback was still struggling with whatever was strangling him around his neck and the group staggered out of the room, leaving behind Lucius and Draco, who stood by the fire place and though their eye was on Harry, they looked to be cowering away in the corner. Neither resembled the strong Malfoy spirit they had once possessed and in that split second, Hermione realised they were both broken. Narcissa's wand was still aimed at her and Ron and she was about as fearless as her sister.

Bellatrix turned to look at Narcissa. Their eyes met across the distance of the room. "Cissy, put the boys in the cellar..." She gestured at Harry and Ron and Narcissa did not need any further prompts. She grabbed Ron by the back of his jacket, the tip of her wand poking painfully in his back, and she dragged Harry up from the floor as if he was nothing. She used her wand to direct Harry and he was helpless. Narcissa pushed them harshly into the direction of the dungeon, where Pettigrew was waiting. Loathing filled Harry's chest as he laid eyes upon the man who had betrayed his parents to Voldemort but he didn't dare move. He had seen Narcissa's wand and kenw that Ron could feel it. One wrong move and they would never leave Malfoy Manor alive. If they were ever to leave at all...

Bellatrix approached Hermione, who was still pressed tightly against the wall. Her face mere inches away from hers and she leant in. She was so close Hermione could feel the raven haired woman's breath on her skin. She was so close she could see her bad, rotten teeth and smell the stale stench from her hair.

"I am going to have a conversation with this one... girl to girl!" Bellatrix shrieked and her hand closed around Hermione's wrist before she could move.

Fear overwhelmed her and she forgot to wrestle herself free from the witch's grip. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage and she could no longer rely on the logic of her brain. Her feet echoed over the wooden floor as she heard the dungeon door slam somewhere below her. Harry and Ron were gone. She was alone now. Surrounded by the darkest witch she had ever encountered. She could feel Lucius' prying eyes as Bellatrix dragged her further into the room. From the corner of her eye she found Narcissa, standing by one of the pillars, watching the scenes unfold. Tears burned behind her eyes but her chest felt strangely empty.

"Now..." Bellatrix whispered as her face once again came dangerously close to Hermione's. "HOW did you get into my save at Gringotts?"

She pressed her wand into the side of Hermione's neck, leaving her skin to burn where the wood touched her flesh. She shivered and forced herself to look up and meet Bellatrix's eyes.

"We... We didn't!" she whispered through clenched teeth. She dug her fingernails into the palms of ehr hands to control her fear and tried breathing slowly. Her heart was pounding so loud she thought Bellatrix could hear it, if not feel it. "We didn't!"

"LIAR!" Bellatrix shrieked and her hand landed down against Hermione's cheek so fast she couldn't even see it coming. The smack left her skin burning and the red handprint almost immediately began to form against her flesh. Tears sprung in her eyes and her knees buckled. She dropped to the floor, her head bowed down. Slowly the salty tears began to trickle down her cheeks and it resulted in a deep, disturbing cackle escaping from Bellatrix's throat.

Her hand rose up again but instead this time it brushed aside a string of hair and forced Hermione's chin up. Charcoal eyes pierced into hazel brown.

"Don't make me ask you again, you filthy little Mudblood!" Bellatrix cried, her wand once again poking in Hermione's neck. She pulled a face as if she had just smelled something disgusting. Hermione could feel Bellatrix's wand tremble. Bellatrix's anger rushed through her veins, through the tips of her fingers and straight through the core of her wand.

"I'm not... I'm not lying!" Hermione whispered and suddenly she looked straight into Bellatrix's eyes. For just a few seconds it was just the two of them. Good versus evil. It was black versus hazel brown. And she felt strength inside of her. Something she hadn't felt before. She placed her hands against the wooden floor and attempted to push herself up. Just as she was about to rise to her feet, Bellatrix firmly pushed her and with a horrific smack she landed against the floor. Her head collided with the heavy wood and the world almost instantly turned into a blur. She turned her head, only to discover the vague shape of Narcissa approaching curiously from the side.

A heavy weight landed on top of her and when she looked up she found Bellatrix straddling her. Her raven curls tickled her face and her lips were so close that for a moment Hermione believed the dark haired witch was going to kiss her. She lay still, frozen. The fear was gone. For one endless second she felt calmer than she had ever been. And she lay, looking up. A moment that was gone too soon. Forgotten for perhaps both of them. She couldn't move. Bellatrix's knees pinned her firmly to the ground and her hands now closed around her wrists, securing her against the cold wood. When she turned her head to the side once more, she found Narcissa had been the only one daring enough to walk around and observe what was happening. Lucius and Draco had once again cowered in the corner but Narcissa's dark eyes were transfixed on her sister and the Mudblood.

Tears were now freely streaming down Hermione's cheeks and she turned her head away from Bellatrix as she came closer. She was so close her lips almost brushed against her flesh, able to taste the salt of her tears.

"I'll ask you again... what else did you take from my vault?" she lisped, her words only intended for her and Hermione.

Having the Mudblood pinned underneath her was almost an exciting feeling. The power it gave her was immense and it rushed through her veins like no other poison ever could. She had not been blind to Hermione's appearance. She had grown up since their last encounter and she could feel the swell of developing breasts against her own chest as she leant in further. Behind her, her sister seemed unwilling to miss what was happening and she smiled. Narcissa always had a rather strange streak about her.

"We didn't... I swear..." Hermione whispered desperatly.

She had seen the lust that flickered t in Bellatrix's eyes. Lust that was no longer hatred. She had felt how she had shifted her weight, now properly straddling her along her waist. She had felt how one hand had slipped from her arm and carelessly drifted across her chest. A strange, sickening sensation of butterflies had come to live in the pits of her stomach when Bellatrix's fingers had brushed across her shirt, resting slightly too long on her breasts.

"We'll see..." Bellatrix murmured and unexpectedly launched herself onto Hermione's other arm. Sharp nails pulled her sleeve, exposing her skin. A twisted grin spread across Bellatrix's face.

The scream that escaped from Hermione's throat was horrifying and echoed off the stone walls around her. The pain overwhelmed her and her body twitched and trembled as the blade began to cut through pure white skin. It was as if Bellatrix was running her through with her knife. She fought to get away but the dark haired witch held her down with just her own body weight. Hermione was trapped between her thighs and her knees. Red drops of blood marked the flesh where it had been cut and Hermione's body shook and jerked as Bellatrix's knife cut her again and again.

When her head turned, she saw Narcissa through her blurred vision. Tears streamed down her face and she screamed until her lungs were about to explode. She tried to move her free hand and reached for the dancing black curls above her. Just as she was about to grasp a fistful and yank Bellatrix away with whatever strength she had left, a set of cold fingers closed around her wrist. She forced herself to look, already knowing who was there. Narcissa had dropped to her knees beside her, pinning her arm back to the floor.

"Don't even think about it!" she hissed coldly and Hermione just shook her head. Silent tears streamed down her face. She had no strength left to scream. Her voice was hoarse and her lungs couldn't cope. She lay still. Every cut hurt more than the one before and she just prayed and wished for it to end. And she wished Bellatrix would just finish it. That she would draw her wand and cast that one curse. Anything was better than lying like this, pinned down by two ruthless witches, whilst the blood poured from her arm.

She barely noticed when the weight changed and Bellatrix stood up. She lay still, like rag doll. Her eyes were open and another single tear trickled down the bridge of her nose to her cheek before seeping into the wooden floor. She couldn't bear to look at what Bellatrix had done to her. But she knew. She knew the carvings in her arms were forming letters. Letters that formed one word that would forever remind her of today. The word MUDBLOOD was imprinted into her flesh, dark red drops of blood still seeping from her wounds.

She heard Bellatrix ask for the goblin but she couldn't move. She heard her call him a liar. And then, everything just happened so fast.

Ron's voice came from the other side of the room. "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Bellatrix's wand flew into the air and Harry caught it. Lucius drew his wand but Harry was quicker his 'Stupefy' hit him the chest, blowing him into the back of the room. Bellatrix sheltered behind a pillar as a battle erupted between Narcissa and Harry and Ron and Draco.

Hermione whimpered when two strong arms hoisted her up by her middle and she felt Bellatrix's body press against her own. She could feel the swell of her breasts in her back but most of all the cold blade of the knife that had cut her arm now pressed against her throat. She didn't dare swallow and could only barely breathe. She was so tired and her eyes felt heavy. Her body was limp and lifeless in Bellatrix's arms. She was supporting Hermione, holding her close to herself.

A groan escaped from Hermione's throat. The pain in her arm had subsided and she became more and more aware of Bellatrix holding her. Were it not for the knife, the position could have almost been comforting and satisfying. She could feel her dark curls against her own skin and for some reason now Bellatrix's hands were strangely soft.

"STOP!" the female Death Eater called. The fight came to a halt almost instantaneously. "Drop your wands!"

Her lips briefly trailed the side of Hermione's neck, feeling the pulsating vein. It betrayed her increasing heartbeat. A smile spread across her face. A few brief moments of hesitation and then the sound of wands falling to the floor. Draco hurried over to scoop them up.

She began to push Hermione into the direction of her friends, almost like a taunt to the ginger haired Weasley lad that she was holding his much beloved girlfriend. The smirk across her face only spread when she saw the horror in their eyes.

"Well well well, look what we have here?" she whispered to Hermione. She had stopped trembling and was strangely calm. Bellatrix's lips brushed against her earlobe and her knees almost buckled. She pressed the knife a little firmer against her flesh. She could now feel Hermione's heartbeat under her fingers. The sensation excited her. "It's Harry Potter. He's all bright and shiny and new again. Just in time for the Dark Lord"

Bellatrix was right. The Stinging Jinx had worn off and Harry looked like himself once again. And her mentioning of Voldemort filled the room with anticipation.

Harry looked from Bellatrix and Hermione to Narcissa to Lucius and Draco. Then his eyes were drawn back to Bellatrix. She was ruling this situation. She was controlling everybody in this room. And the power excited her. He could see it in her eyes. He shot a glance at Ron. They were wandless. There was nothing they could do. In a few seconds, Voldemort would be here and everything they had done together, everything they had found everything they had learned, would be lost.

"Call him" said an almost amused Bellatrix. She held the knife securely to Hermione's throat. The silver blade flickered in the dimly lit room and another moan rolled from Hermione's lips. Her other hand rested on Hermione's forehead, yanking her head back. But her fingers played with strands of busy brown hair in an almost tender way, confusing Hermione.

No one dared to move.

"Call him!" Bellatrix ordered once again and Harry watched the exchange of looks between Lucius and Draco. The youngest Malfoy did not roll up his sleeve. The fear was evident in his eyes. It was however Lucius who exposed his left arm. The Dark Mark sat proud against his flesh and he lifted his index finger, ready to call for his Master. Behind him, Narcissa watched, the look in her eyes darkening with every passing second.

The peculiar grinding noise made them all look up and Harry felt a jolt of happiness when he saw Dobby, swinging from the chandelier. It hung right above Bellatrix and Hermione. Bellatrix looked dup, startled and confused and it took just a few seconds too long for her brain to register what was happening. Just as she realised what the house elf was about to do, the chandelier dropped, rapidly approaching the two people underneath.

Hermione fell to the ground and moaned at the sudden loss of contact with Bellatrix's body. Her legs gave in under the sudden weight change. She was thrown into Ron's waiting arms. She caught Narcissa diving for cover, protecting her head with her hands. Bellatrix was gone, faded in a cloud of dust. Her eyes unwillingly searched for her and she felt almost restless when she didn't see her straight away. And now Ron was there, at her side. His arm slipped around her waist as he hoisted her up. She lost sight of Harry but then he appeared again. He had taken the wands from Draco and now hexed Lucius. He was no match against three wands and his limp body flew into a corner.

The rest passed in a blur. Bellatrix shouted something at Dobby and he said something. Narcissa tried to hex him but he took her wand. She heard it fell to the floor. And then she only just caught sight of Bellatrix's knife heading in her direction. And then the sensation of Apparating washed over her. In a blur of silver and black, Bellatrix disappeared.

The next second, she opened her eyes and the salty smell of sea air filled her nose. Tears were once again streaming down her face and she rested against Ron's chest, only to realise it was not the body she had been feeling earlier. And when she fought to get out of his embrace, to get away from him as far as she could, he thought it was because she was upset about what had happened to her. Only she knew, though didn't understand, that it was because it wasn't what she wanted to feel.

Her gaze dropped to her forearm. It was still there. The cuts had stopped bleeding but the letters now sat swollen and painful against her pale skin. And when she looked at Harry, rocking the lifeless body of Dobby in his arms with Bellatrix's bloodied knife beside him, she couldn't make sense of her thoughts at all.

She traced every letter and she remembered the pain. But she also remembered the charcoal eyes and as she staggered to her feet, up till her ankles in the colt sea water, she stared at the horizon. The world seemed endless here. And endless it would be. From now on, from this very minute, she knew – deep inside- that nothing would ever be the same again.


	3. Chapter 3

_Masquerade!_  
_Leering satyrs,_  
_peering eyes._  
_Masquerade!_  
_Run and hide -_  
_but a face will_  
_still pursue you  
~Masquerade - The Phantom Of The Opera-_

_~()~_

**Chapter 2**

She lay awake that first night, listening to the waves crashing against the cliffs. The sound of the sea was comforting but it also reminded her of the loneliness that surrounded them. Shell Cottage lay far away from any form of civilisation and with Bill as Secret Keeper; no one could ever find it. And so Hermione lay awake, staring into the darkness. Her arm hurt. Fleur had tried to heal it as best as she could, but the wounds just wouldn't heal. Somehow it had reminded Hermione of the bites Mr Weasley had suffered by Voldemort's snake. So she had whispered to Fleur, who had been upset about seeing what Bellatrix had done to her, that it was OK. That it would heal eventually.

But the burning sensation had not worn off and there was still the stinging feeling. She had lost count of how many times she had touched the cuts. A hundred times, maybe more. Now that she lay in bed, perhaps the most comfortable bed she had slept in since they started her journey, she listened to Luna's steady breathing from the bed on other side of the room. Even though she had spent weeks locked up in the dungeon in Malfoy Manor, she was remarkably cheerful and though it had been annoying at first, she now almost had begun to appreciate Luna's ability to still smile.

Hermione sat up and ran her hands through her hair. The sleeve of the shirt she was wearing fell back, exposing the raw wounds. She sight as she looked at it. Her skin looked paler in the silver light of the moon. It was one of Bill's old shirts she was wearing. Fleur had insisted on washing all of their clothes. Hermione suspected they were expecting them to abandon their attempts to continue their journey.

When her hand slipped under the pillow, looking for her wand, she found nothing and she realised once again that she did not take it back with her from Malfoy Manor. She shook her head. They had taken Draco's wand, Pettigrew's wand and the wand that had belonged to Bellatrix. With a groan of displeasure, Hermione slipped out of the bed. Her feet touched the cold floor and she made sure not to wake Luna when she opened the door. Once out on the landing she crossed straight ahead, to the room Harry shared with Ron. She turned the doorknob and was half and half expecting Harry on the other side. Her heart was beating in her throat.

But, to her surprise, both her friends were asleep. She caught sight of Harry's face, lit up by the weak moonlight falling through the window. He had a pained expression; as if he was having another bad dream. Her eyes drifted across the room, purposely ignoring Ron, and then she found the wands on the table beside Harry's bed. They were all there; the wands of Draco Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew.

She gasped as her fingers brushed against the wood of the three different sticks. Bellatrix's wand felt most evil under her touch but she carefully took it anyway. She slipped it in her sleeve, shot a final glance at Harry, who just rolled over, and backed out of the room. She closed the door, and once she stood on the landing, she raised her wand and whispered "Accio clothes!"

And sure enough, her clothes came whizzing up from the ground floor and landed in front of her in a messy pile. She flicked her wand and they all organised themselves in neatly folded sets of three. She kept a pair of jeans, a jumper, scarf and socks apart before she used an undetectable "Reducio" on the rest and the clothes shrunk to a tiny size she could hold in her hand.

Hermione went back into the bedroom she shared with Luna and quietly she got dressed, leaving Bill's shirt and Fleur's shorts on the bed, neatly folded. She slipped Bellatrix's wand in her pocket, took one of Luna's hairpins to hold her hair together and then carefully made her way down the stairs, towards the front door. The fresh yet salty sea air greeted her when she opened it. It was still dark outside and she stepped into the night, closing the door softly behind her. She stood like this for a few seconds, feeling the wind in her hair. And then she began to walk. She had no idea where she was going but she had to walk, just to get away.

She eventually sat down on a small pile of rocks, not far from the cottage, but out of sight. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rolled up her sleeve, once again looking at the wounds left behind by Bellatrix.

The images flooded back into her mind. There was nothing she could do to stop it. She once again saw Malfoy Manor doom up behind the metal gates and the haunting eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange as they scrutinized their faces. How her breath had been so warm against her skin, leaving her to shiver. How thick, unruly curls had touched her flesh. The smell of her hair, stale though yet laced with something almost exotic, the shape of her lips and the touch of her hands.

Her stomach tightened when she thought about the moment Bellatrix had pushed her to the floor before straddling her. The fear had been overwhelming when she found the raven haired woman hover over her but then, she had suddenly felt strangely calm – for just a second. For just one single, frozen, everlasting second, she had felt calm. And then the fear had come and taken it all away. The look in Bellatrix's eyes had taken it all away – erased the moment of peace. One moment of solace, of comfort, as she lay beneath her body, pinned against a wooden floor. Long gone. Never to come back.

Though the wounds still hurt, she wasn't quite aware of the actual pain. Whether it was the pain in her arm or the pain she felt inside. Absentmindedly, she twirled the unfamiliar wound through her fingers, like she had seen Bellatrix do. She didn't even realise she was doing it until she looked at her hands and the motion terrified her.

When she remembered the way Bellatrix had held her in those final moments, with the blade coldly pressed against her flesh, her stomach tightened even further and she felt intensely sick. Her head was rushing and she clutched her legs, almost forcing herself into a ball. She was aching so, so badly inside, with a pain she could not even begin to explain. It was hurting so much. She could still feel Bellatrix's clam, warm hand against her forehead. Her lips brushing against her ear. Her voice echoed through her head. It had all been wrong. So terribly wrong. So awfully painful. Bellatrix had enjoyed every second of her discomfort.

And then she broke down. The tears just poured from her eyes, streaming violently down her skin and burning her flesh, leaving red marks behind where they had been. It was as if her heart shattered in her chest, finally breaking under the damage left behind by Bellatrix. The emotions of the past several months, laced with the events from Malfoy Manor, finally erupted inside of her.

Without fully realising it, the wand in her hand took aim at one of the nearest trees and without a whisper coming from her lips it erupted in flames, glowing against the velvet black backdrop of the night.

It startled her and she looked up, staring at the burning tree. The flames were both terrifying as well as haunting. Shadows suddenly emerged from the darkness. Shadows that had faces. Faces that matched her memories. She could see Bellatrix's eyes. She heard her voice, whispering from the orange flames. She cast a quick Aguamenti, and the fire went out. She stared down at the wand in her hand. It felt unnatural. It felt wrong. But as she let the wand roll through her fingers once again, her other hand cherished the marks on her arm. And she shivered. She felt cold inside.

"Accio parchment and quill" she whispered and seconds later a roll of parchment and a quill landed in the soil in front of her. Her hands shivered as she picked it up. Drops of ink landed on the parchment, spreading across like dark tears. She swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in the back of her throat and then began writing.

_Dear Harry and Ron,  
I don't know why I am doing this, or even what it is I am doing. I know that when Ron left, we felt like we were helpless and incomplete. And I am sorry for imposing that feeling once again. I can only hope that the light that found its way into Ron's heart, will also find its way into mine. I know our journey is everything and I know you need both of us, Harry. But there is something I need to do. Something I need to see. And I am not even sure I know what that is. After what happened at Malfoy Manor, I am not sure whether I can go on like we have been doing. I hope you will understand. Forgive me for my leaving like you forgave Ron. And just keep hope. I know you did it before. Both of you. Because hope is all we have left._

_Love,  
Hermione_

She used Bellatrix's wand to levitate the parchment through the bedroom window that was slightly ajar. Once she was sure it was inside, she summoned her bag and swung the rug sack over her shoulder. Whatever was left after their ordeal at Malfoy Manor, she had taken with her. She took a deep breath and the awful feeling she had felt when she left her parents' house, invaded her heart again. She shot a final glance at Shell Cottage, where her friends were still soundly asleep. The first rays of sunshine were appearing behind the horizon and it wouldn't be long before dawn broke. And so Hermione just started walking, like she had done once before. She left behind what she knew, and threw herself into the unknown. But this time, she was alone.

~()~

Her parents' house was still empty. The ivy had slightly grown higher up the walls. Her mother normally did an immaculate job keeping it neatly cropped. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she opened the little gate and approached the front door. The key burned in her pocket and she gasped when she stuck it in the lock. When it turned, she let her breath escape. She pushed against the door and when she stepped into the hall, she smelled the stale smell of a house that had not been lived in for months. As she closed the door she found the massive pile of post lying behind it and sadness washed over her when she saw her parents' names on the envelope.

The house was still in an immaculate state and she was glad Voldemort had not come here. Perhaps he had not expected her to be here after all. Nothing had been disturbed. Carefully, she pushed open the door leading into the living room and almost instantly her eyes fell on the empty picture frames. Her parents looked back at her but she couldn't find her own eyes.

She fell down on the sofa and pulled up her legs. She could stay here for awhile. No one would come looking for her here and it would be enough to shelter for a little while, as she worked out her plan. She just knew she couldn't stay with Ron and Harry. She needed to understand something. She needed to understand herself.

She rested her head against the armrest of the sofa and sighed as she remembered Bellatrix's touch. How something so harsh had almost also been gentle still amazed her. There was a part of her almost yearning to go back to her. To seek out the danger, the torment and the pain all over again. If it meant she could feel... anything.

~()~

She stayed at her parents' house for a week. She watched from the front window how the sun rose in the morning and went down at night. She watched familiar faces of neighbours walk by. They were so used to the house being empty now that they no longer stopped and stared. Unaware of the real dangers, they carried on living. They had no idea what the mists were that pressed against their windows at night or the dark shadows shooting along the sky.

Whilst she was staying at the house she slept in her own bed and ate the food from the storage cupboards. With every meal she felt a sense of guilt towards Harry and Ron and wondered if they were still at Shell Cottage. They had not written back.

She caught up on some of the Muggle news in the old news papers and took a shower every day. The fresh soap and shampoo left her feeling far more human and she even changed some of her clothes for the ones she had left behind. She watched TV and made notes of possible ways of returning to Malfoy Manor without being seen. There was very little she could do. She didn't have Harry's cloak and even though she had though bottles of Polyjuice Potion, it was hardly enough to remain unnoticed.

On the sixth night, once darkness had fallen and thick drops of rain slid down the dark glass, she zipped up her coat, put up her hood and stored Bellatrix's wand in her sleeve. She swung her bag over her shoulder after having made sure everything was waterproof. She opened the front door and stepped out into the night. She had no other choice. The only way of returning to Malfoy Manor was either returning of her own accord or being captured. Neither promised her a good treatment and she shivered as the rain lashed into her face.

She walked down the road towards the little church, much like she had done once before. When she was far enough away, she turned on the spot and focused on the hauntingly dark building behind the metal gates. She Apparated with a loud 'CRACK', leaving behind the home she had known all over again. When she reopened her eyes, it was still raining. She looked around. She wasn't standing at the end of the lane, like they had done when she was with the Snatchers. But she couldn't be far away from the Manor.

Hermione's eyes searched the darkness, looking for anything familiar. But everything was dark. She sighed almost desperatly and began walking. The hedges were high and it was impossible for her to lo0k over them. And so she walked, trying hard to stay out of the moonlight. After she had walked for about ten minutes she froze. Voices came from the darkness, not too far away from her. Automatically, she held her breath and pressed herself into the hedge. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage.

"Bloody Lucius and his damn incantations! You'd think he's trying to keep us out!" a deep man's voice croaked and Hermione's ears perked up. She couldn't be too far from the Manor.

"Perhaps he is just trying to keep himself in! Coward!" barked another.

His voice made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She knew that voice. It was Yaxley, the Death Eater who had followed her, Ron and Harry from the Ministry to Grimmauld Place and had eventually been the reason for Ron splinching himself.

Hermione heard their footsteps but couldn't quite make out their figures or their faces. She had only a fraction of a second to decide and perhaps bravery could be considered foolishness, or vice versa, but she left the safety of the hedge and followed the footsteps, leading down a road that eventually narrowed until it turned into the familiar looking lane. She could see the Manor doom up in the distance. Lights were burning behind some of the windows, creating an almost haunting glow. She stayed several steps behind the group of four Death Eaters, making sure to hide in the shadows. Unlike Snatchers, Death Eaters weren't stupid – not all of them anyway- and she reckoned they'd be on to her a lot quicker than a bunch of Troll-related idiots. Hermione only recognised Yaxley in the group and it looked like he was leading the others.

She watched as the gates swung open at the wave of Yaxley's want and narrowed her eyes. Not a single spell, hex or incantation had been cast. She watched the four people enter and the gates closed with a metallic click. She waited several seconds, making sure the group was far enough away not to hear the gate as it opened again. She broke free from the shadows, drew Bellatrix's wand from her sleeve and imitated the movement she had seen Yaxley make. She wasn't expecting anything but to her surprise, and her horror, the gates swung aside, revealing the entrance.

Before she could walk any further up the drive, a dark smoke emerged from the shadows and she almost instinctively hid behind a tree. She knew what Death Eaters looked like when they Apparated and the black smoke that surrounded them was a good tell tale. Her heart was beating in her throat when she heard boots echo of the wet tarmac. A twig snapped and leaves rustled. She held her breath and bit down on her lip to prevent even the tiniest amount of air from escaping.

"I know you here..." came the almost singing voice of Bellatrix Lestrange and Hermione felt her heart tighten in her chest. Another twig snapped. More leaves rustled. Bellatrix wasn't far away but Hermione suspected the dark witch only had her senses to rely on. "The enchantment detected _my wand_..."

"Accio wand!" she heard Bellatrix whisper and Hermione desperatly attempted to hold onto it but it slipped from her fingers, flying into the direction of Bellatrix. She could hear the dark witch gasp and instead of pressing herself firmer against the tree, she started running. The grounds were wet and soggy under her boots and it was slippy. Several times she nearly lost her balance. Her lungs were pressed against her ribcage and her heart was racing. Behind her, she could hear Bellatrix cackling and laughing and the distinct sound of someone Disapparating.

Hermione dared to look over her shoulder but couldn't see anything but the Manor in the distance.

"Come out come out wherever you are..." came Bellatrix's taunt. It was as if her voice echoed through the darkness and it seemed to come from every direction. Hermione had no idea where she was. Suddenly she had lost all hope, all strength, about coming here and she cursed herself for being such a fool. Only an idiot would walk into the lion's den. Nobody in their right mind would return to Malfoy Manor. And yet she had. And now she was running for her life.

"Is it you, ickle baby Potter?" Bellatrix cackled, her voice still coming from every direction. It was a haunting sound. "You can run but you can't hide forever, little Harry!"

Hermione just kept running but she could sense Bellatrix coming closer. She turned a sharp left and was suddenly faced with the Manor. It was several hundred yards away from her and it wouldn't give her any shelter, but her instincts sent her towards the house.

"Incarcerous!"

The impact of the curse was warm and somewhat painful. She could feel the ropes wrap around her legs and seconds later she crashed to the ground. The ropes tightened around her ankles, her knees, her thighs and her waist and she squirmed in pain when they became so tight they began to cut off her circulation. It left her arms free and she desperatly clutched the soil in an attempt to crawl away. But there was nowhere to hide.

The black smoke slowly began to take solid form and the first thing she saw as she looked up was the black skirt of Bellatrix Lestrange. Her eyes wandered up, along the full length of the dark witch's full frame until she reached her face and those haunting eyes that had been tormenting her. Bellatrix's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she recognised her prisoner and with the tip of her boot, she forced Hermione to roll over onto her back. Now that her face was illuminated by the moonlight, Bellatrix recognised Hermione completely and a grin began to spread across her face.

"Well well well... look what we have here..." she hissed, now placing her foot on Hermione's stomach and firmly pressing down. Hermione flinched under the weight. Bellatrix's heel was sharp and pointy and dug deeply into her flesh. But she knew better than to whimper.

"If it isn't the little Mudblood... What, did you come back for more?" Bellatrix chuckled and removed her foot. With a simple flick from her wand, her own, Hermione was dragged onto her feet. She was magically floating in front of Bellatrix, her feet about two inches from the floor. She noticed the dark haired witch was carrying another wand. It looked like the one that belonged to her sister and Hermione suspected Bellatrix had confiscated it from Narcissa the night she lost her own.

"Here without your friends this time?" Bellatrix questioned as she climbed the steps leading to the front door. It opened as they approached and revealed the dimly lit hallway. It looked almost warm and comfortable, were it not for the portraits with the prying eyes. "Did they send you here? Surely Potter can't have been that stupid..."

Curiously Bellatrix eyes Hermione up from the side. The young witch had not spoken a word. She had not even whimpered though Bellatrix kenw her to be in pain and discomfort. She flicked her wand and watched how Hermione's face changed into a mask of pain. Finally, a soft moan slipped from her throat and Bellatrix smirked to herself in satisfaction.

"Not lost your tongue, have you?" Bellatrix whispered as she suddenly grabbed hold of Hermione's arm arm and yanked her towards her. Suddenly she was as close to her as she had been the day before. Her breath was warm against Hermione's skin and her eyes almost fluttered shut under the sensation.

A door opened to their left and Narcissa walked into the hallway. Her eyes widened when she found Bellatrix walking in, with an incarcerated Hermione at her side. The corners of her mouth twitched and she looked at her sister.

"Found yourself a toy, Bella?" she questioned in a cold voice.

Bellatrix shot a dark look at Hermione and with a flick of her wand, the robes were removed. Hermione ungraciously fell to the ground and pushed herself up on her hands, looking up to Bellatrix. She trembled but somehow she did not feel the fear like she had felt it before. She watched how Bellatrix threw Narcissa's wand back at her and the younger sister graciously caught it. Hermione slowly tried to crawl back onto her feet but was smacked down again by a magical force. Her eyes snapped up and she found Bellatrix smirking back at her. Narcissa was still watching.

"This one is going to give us some amusement, Cissy..." Bellatrix lisped. "A lot of fun..."


	4. Chapter 4

"_We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise  
if we have waited in the __darkness_"  
_~Unknown~_

**Chapter 3**

Bellatrix had taken her to the cellar, or the dungeon – since cellar seemed an almost too friendly word for her new surroundings. It was damp and cold and it stank of mould and rotting leaves. She could see her own breath form clouds in the air as she huddled in the corner, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. In this very moment she couldn't remember why she had come back here. What had she possibly hoped to achieve by returning to the lion's den? Was it all just because of that one second? That one second where she had seen the look in her eyes change?

She had no idea how long she had been here. It couldn't have been longer than a day. Through a small crack, high up in the wall, she could just see a small beam of sunlight. It had been dark when she arrived here but dawn had broken now. She shivered. She was frozen to the bone and had been blowing on her fingers just to prevent them from going numb. Every so often she got up and walked around, to stop her legs from falling asleep. But when she walked, her footsteps echoed of the cobbled ground and off the walls and she couldn't hear any of the muffled voices and footsteps coming from above. She knew she was right under the drawing room. She was in the very same dungeon where they had locked up Luna, Olivander, Harry and Ron that fateful night.

The metallic click at the top of the stairs told her the lock had been opened and with a high pitched squeak, the door opened. Hermione didn't look up but listened as footsteps descended down the stone steps. Her clothes were damp and cold and smelled of the stench that lingered in this dungeon.

"Stand!" barked a cold voice and Hermione peered up through her eyelids. The voice did not belong to Bellatrix. Instead, she recognised the dark hair with blonde strands that belonged to Narcissa. Her dark eyes were fixed on Hermione but she seemed hesitant to come closer. She didn't need to. When Hermione's eyes drifted to her arm she looked straight at the tip of her wand.

"Are you deaf? I said stand!" Narcissa commanded, now flicking her wand and Hermione felt a painful jerk in her cold limbs.

She crawled to her feet and then slowly looked up, meeting Narcissa's frozen gaze. "It's not that easy with frozen limbs, you know!"

Narcissa looked like she was going to say something but then chose silence over words and just aimed her wand at Hermione. An invisible force began to push her slowly up the stairs. First she resisted but her knees buckled and she collided against the stone. Pain shot through her and she could feel the bruise begin to form. She shot a look over her shoulder. Narcissa was still standing at the bottom of the steps, her wand aimed at her. Hermione sighed and began climbing the last few steps leading up to the door. It was wide open and she stepped into the brightly lit drawing room.

At first glance it appeared to be empty and she took a few more steps into the room, nervously looking out of the window. The world looked bright outside. Last night's rain had cleared and a weak little sun had appeared in the sky.

"Dear Merlin, what is that god awful smell?" came a familiar voice from the other side of the room and Hermione's head whipped up.

Bellatrix was leaning against one of the pillars, a smirk lingering on her face. She had been watching Hermione as she emerged from the dungeons and now watched how Narcissa followed, her wand still securely aimed at their prisoner.

"Cissy, what on Earth is that stench?" Bellatrix repeated her question and Narcissa shot her sister a glance. She too had wrinkled her nose.

"Must be her" Narcissa said, her hand casually flicking in Hermione's direction and her eyes dropped to the healing wounds on Hermione's lower arm. One eyebrow shot up. "Mudblood..."

Hermione felt her blood rush through her veins. She was used to the insults by now. She had lost complete track of her reasons to come here. She stood rigid, her eyes fixed on Bellatrix. She wasn't sure what she expected to see. The room was empty apart from the two sisters. The long table and chairs had been taken out and were replaced for comfortable looking leather sofas by the fireplace. The fire was burning away and filled the room with an almost comforting feeling. Were it not for the darkness that surrounded her, she would almost have enjoyed it.

"Where do you want her?" Narcissa asked Bellatrix and Hermione now turned to look at the younger sister.

_Want _her? What on Earth did Bellatrix think she was going to do?

Bellatrix's eyebrows shot up and her face changed into a mask of disgust. Her voice was haughty and high pitched when she spoke. "I am not touching _that_, Cissy! The smell of her! I'd never get that stench out of my dress!"

"You want me throw her back in there?" Narcissa sounded almost irritated and grabbed hold of Hermione's arm. Her grip was tight but almost instantly loosened.

Bellatrix seemed to think about that suggestion for a moment but then shook her head. Her raven curls danced around her head, falling down her neck and back like an endless black waterfall. Her dark eyes fixed on Hermione and she froze. It was there again. The different look. The different eyes. It was as if the sun had suddenly risen in Bellatrix's face. Gone were the dark lines around her eyes. Gone was the poison that laced her voice.

"No..." she started and her voice was so much softer now. She took a few steps in Hermione's direction but just stayed out of reach. Her eyes searched the young witch's face in a completely different manner and it looked like she was about to reach out.. Her hand hovered in the air for just a moment, torn between slapping her and caressing her cheek. Confusion began to fill the charcoal eyes. "Give her a bath. I shall deal with her once she is clean..."

She turned on her heels and hurried for the door. Just as she was about to leave however, she turned and show a final glance at Hermione, who was left to the mercy of Narcissa and her wand. The confusion still lingered in her eyes and when her gaze locked with Hermione's, it was the repeat of that one second all over again. Though now it lasted longer. Just a few more moments in time in which the world seemed like a different place.

And then she was gone.

Hermione felt her breath escape and only then did she remember Narcissa was still standing beside her, her wand poking dangerously harsh in her back and she turned to look at her.

Narcissa didn't speak but merely intended for Hermione to follow her. So she did and followed her out of the drawing room and up the large marble staircase in the hallway. Her eyes searched for Bellatrix but she was long gone. It had been these few seconds that reminded her why she had come back here. What she had seen the first time, she had seen again. A small light, lingering in Bellatrix's eyes. It came and it went, like a flame dying and only its smoke remaining, but it was there. And it left her wondering. It left her heart almost yearning to understand.

She barely noticed they had reached the second floor and Hermione's eyes curiously swept along some of the paintings. Compared to the dark faces and horrific scenes from downstairs, these were almost peaceful and reminded her of some of the pictures at Hogwarts.

Narcissa opened a door to her left and revealed a bathroom. The floor was decorated with the same marble that decorated the stairs, as were the walls. The features were all made out of solid silver and the room had an old, Victorian style tub in the corner. It was dimly lit by candles, which seemed to have lit themselves when Narcissa flicked her wand.

Hermione glanced at Narcissa. Surely this was not their usual way of treating a prisoner?

"My sister requires you to take a bath" Narcissa stated rather matter of fact. She had turned to look at Hermione, her eyes lingering on her fragile looking frame. When Hermione didn't move she arched a finely shaped eyebrow. "People do usually undress when they take a bath..."

Hermione swallowed and her mouth became dry. The words left her mouth in a stutter. "And you are going to watch me?"

The corner of Narcissa's mouth twitched but she didn't answer. Her eyes however didn't move away from Hermione and it was obvious she was rapidly losing her patience.

She had no idea why Narcissa would watch her get undressed but since she was in Malfoy Manor, nothing surprised her anymore. And so Hermione slowly began to unbutton her jeans and pulled her jumper over her head, revealing the black tank top she was wearing underneath. It sat tight against her skin. She peered at Narcissa through her eyelashes but it looked as if the witch wasn't looking at her. With shaking hands, Hermione then took off her tank top, slowly revealing the pink flesh that lay hidden underneath. By now she was positively trembling. She was wearing one of her cream coloured laced bras and slowly, careful to avoid looking at Narcissa, she peeled her jeans down her legs and stepped out of them. When she looked back up, she found Narcissa gazing at her, almost mesmerized. In that moment, the look in her eyes resembled the look she had seen in Bellatrix's eyes when she had hovered over her.

Hermione shivered. She felt violated and Narcissa's piercing gaze left her feeling vulnerable and scared. She heard the taps running and looked up. The bath had magically filled itself with water and bubbles and she slowly walked over towards it, very much aware of the piercing gaze that lingered on her. She could feel Narcissa's eyes slide down from her shoulders, down her back and the slight curves of her hips before resting on her fine shaped buttocks.

With her back turned towards Narcissa, she unhooked her bra and let it fall down to the floor. Hermione could hear the older witch gasp softly. It was both liberation and an embarrassment. Her fingers hooked behind her knickers and she slowly pulled them down her legs. Without wasting any precious time or standing in front of Narcissa naked too long, Hermione stepped into the warm water and her eyes almost instantly closed when the comforting sensation overwhelmed her.

She turned her head eventually and found Narcissa leaving the room. The lock magically clicked and she knew she couldn't leave.

Hermione lay in the warm water, enjoying the sweet smell of vanilla and roses as it took over almost all of her senses. The bubbles covered most of her body and the water was exactly the right temperature. She washed her hair and scrubbed her skin, getting rid of the stale stench of the dungeon. She was careful not to wash the scabs of her wound, or else it would bleed into the water. It had only been one day since her imprisonment and yet it felt like she had been here forever. She flinched when she felt her stomach rumble but she did not dare hope Bellatrix would feed her as well as provide her with a bath.

Time seemed to pass way too fast but the water never lost any of its warmth. The candles slowly burned down further and wax was dripping on their glass plates. The flames flickered every so often and Hermione found herself drifting off into a quiet doze. Her head rested on one of the soft fluffy towels she had found waiting for her. Her body relaxed now that it did not have to endure the dampness and the cold from the dungeon and she hadn't slept all night.

When her eyes snapped open, she immediately realised she wasn't alone. With a jolt, she sat up and turned. Some of the water splashed over the edge and covered the marble floor. The dark figure on the side of the bath was looking at her, not bothered by the water that washed over her dress, and it took Hermione a few seconds to realise that it was Bellatrix. Her skin appeared to glow in the dim candle lit and her dark curls fell tenderly down her neck and shoulders. Her hand had been resting on Hermione's head, much like the night she had tortured her. But the look in her eyes was different.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione whispered, suddenly becoming very aware of the fact she was naked apart from the bubbles covering her skin.

"Checking up on you" Bellatrix answered and reached out a hand. She brushed a strand of wet hair out of Hermione's face. "I assume the bath was adequate?"

Hermione nodded, shocked. Was this woman sitting on the edge of the bath really the same woman who had shrieked she was too dirty to touch only a few hours ago? Her eyes narrowed as she searched Bellatrix's face. Her eyes were lighter and softer and the corners of her lips curled up into the smile.

"Get dressed. There is food waiting for you." She stood up and walked to the door. With the doorknob in her hand she turned and Hermione could see the look in her eyes change. Confusion came first, for just a moment. It riddled Bellatrix's face briefly before her eyes rapidly darkened. Her smirk spread. "Unless you'd rather choose to perish, of course..."

Hermione heard the door close but the lock didn't turn. She assumed Bellatrix was waiting outside. She stepped out of the bath, careful not to slip on the wet floor and wrapped a towel around herself. When she turned to the mirror, she brushed some of the steam away and met her own reflection. She took a few deep breaths. She felt clean and comfortable but she was terrified of what awaited her outside this door. It was obvious Bellatrix and Narcissa were up to something.

A set of clothes appeared on the side and Hermione got dressed in clean underwear, a pair of black jeans and a black long sleeved t-shirt. Black seemed to be the favourite colour in the Malfoy household. Just as she pulled the shirt over her head, the door opened and Bellatrix stalked back in. She came to a halt right in front of Hermione and she leant in, sniffing the air. A grin spread across her face and her charcoal eyes sparkled.

Before Hermione could respond, she felt the familiar poking of a wand against her chest and her eyes darted down. Bellatrix's wand rested against her breast, right against her heart.

"Don't do anything stupid or it will be the last thing you'll ever do" Bellatrix whispered and her lips brushed against Hermione's cheek. When she felt the young witch tremble she smirked and her fingers closed around her wrist. "If you behave, you will not sleep in that dungeon tonight. However, if I am..._ dissatisfied_... by you..." Her voice trailed off as Narcissa opened in the open door. Her eyebrows shot up when she found Bellatrix leaning closely against Hermione but then she smiled.

"Ready, Bella?" she whispered.

"Ready, Cissy"

Hermione was forcefully dragged out of the room, and down the marble stairs. Bellatrix's wand was poking in her back with every other step and she struggled to stand up, as Narcissa had taken over from Bellatrix and was clearly eager to reach the bottom of the stairs. She had to do her best to keep up with her quick footsteps. She nearly tumbled over when she they reached the last step and Bellatrix grabbed a fistful of her hair, violently yanking her back. Hermione whimpered in pain and desperatly clawed at the back of her head, desperate for Bellatrix to release her.

"Let's see how well you do under a second round of question, you filthy little Mudblood" hissed Bellatrix. Her breath was warm against her ear.

Hermione trembled. She should have known better than to think Bellatrix would feed her. Her eyes shot to Narcissa, who had opened the door to the by now familiar room. It still looked the same. Bellatrix pushed her so hard she fell over and landed against the wooden floor. Almost immediately she attempted to get back up but was smacked down when a spell hit her in her back. Her face smacked against the harsh surface and she could feel the warm blood begin to trickle from her nose.

"Where is Potter?" Narcissa demanded. She knelt down beside Hermione and lifted up her face with two fingers, careful not to touch the blood that dripped down her skin. "WHERE IS HE?"

"I don't know!" Hermione answered and Narcissa pulled away. She couldn't see the exchange between the sisters but the next thing she felt was an immensely burning sensation in all her limps. A horrific scream escaped from her throat. It felt as if someone had poured scolding hot oil all over her.

"What is he doing?" This time it was Bellatrix's voice.

"I..." Hermione gasped for air. There was no oxygen in her lungs. The pain was intense and seemed to destroy her from the inside out. Her body violently shook and her nails dug into the wooden floor. Two snapped, causing them to bleed. "I... I don't know... I swear, I don't know... Please... stop..."

"Did you hear that, Cissy... she wants us to stop!" Bellatrix cackled and the pain suddenly stopped.

Hermione was panting and she felt sick. Her stomach was twisting and turning and she began heaving as she attempted to crawl onto all fours. Another jinx caused her to smack back down and with a frustrated scream, she rolled onto her back. She found the two witches hovering over her, one on either side. Bellatrix was laughing hysterically. Narcissa was merely smirking.

"Tell us where Potter is and what he's up to"! Narcissa had lowered herself down to Hermione's ear. "Tell us where he is and I promise I won't set Bella at you..."

"I dont know'" Hermione whispered, trying to accent every word. She was exhausted and nervously shot up a glance to Bellatrix's wand, still directed at her chest. But she didn't move. Her hand seemed frozen, her eyes fixed on Hermione's face.

Suddenly the room erupted under the violence of magic. Windows shattered and paintings were blasted from the walls. Bellatrix had spun around on her heels, randomly casting jinxes and hexes at everything she could see. Bright jets of light in all sorts of colours shot from the tip of her wand. A blue jet only just missed Hermione when she pulled her legs up.

"NO!" Bellatrix shrieked in hysterics, her black eyes wider than ever before and Hermione recognised the purest of fear she had ever seen. Bellatrix's curls danced around her head like leaves in a hurricane. Fear was laced through her voice. "NO!" NOOOO!"

Another painting crashed to the floor, only two feet from where Narcissa and Hermione were. The older witch threw herself to the ground for cover and Hermione cowered away from the dust that was rising from where the painting had landed. The sound of glass breaking echoed along the room and immense flames erupted from the fireplace. They began to eat away at the curtains and the floorboards and the heat rapidly filled the room.

Hermione had crawled behind one of the pillars and peered from behind it to see Bellatrix standing by the window. It had started raining uncontrollably outside and thick, black clouds had gathered in the sky. Thunder roared dangerously over their heads and the curtains that weren't burning were flapping harshly in the wind. She stood between broken glass and splintered wood and was panting. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead and her curls stuck to her cheeks.

Hermione's eyes searched for Narcissa and watched how she emerged from under a broken painting, covered in dust. Only now did she realise how powerful she really was because she approached her sister without a single hint of fear her step.

"IMPEDI-"

"PROTEGO!"

Narcissa's jinx rebounded and crashed into the marble fireplace instead. Marble shattered into hundreds of pieces and rained down upon all of them, covering the room and its occupants in another layer of dust. Bellatrix had spun around to face Narcissa. Anger flickered in her eyes and their wands seemed almost drawn to each other like a moth drawn to a flame.

Hermione's eyes narrowed when she saw something sticking out of Narcissa's pocket and her heart skipped a beat. It was her own wand! It was right there, in front of her! Her heart was racing in her chest and she tried to come up with an attempt to get it. She could grab it and be quick to stun Bellatrix but she would never be able to stun Narcissa at the same time. Or she could stun Narcissa and attempt to escape from Bellatrix. But she had just seen what the raven haired witch could do and somehow escaping seemed like a bad idea.

But what she didn't understand was WHY Bellatrix had suddenly lost her mind. She had seen the fear in her eyes. Pure, unadulterated fear. Right before the anger had kicked in. The anger that had caused this room to be shattered. The standoff between the two sisters filled the room with natural magic which was about to reach its climax.

Hermione took a deep breath and suddenly launched from behind the pillar, towards Narcissa. She only needed a couple of seconds and just as she reached her, both Bellatrix and Narcissa seemed to realise what she was doing. She grabbed the witch around her waist and pulled her down to the floor. At the same time, her hand slipped in the pocket of Narcissa's robes and she drew her own wand.

In an automatic reaction she aimed over her shoulder and shot a Stunning Spell in the direction where Bellatrix had been. Underneath her, Narcissa tried to writhe free from her and Hermione rolled away from her. She expected Narcissa to jump up but instead, she rolled back on top of Hermione and pinned her down to the floor almost exactly the same way Bellatrix had done before. Hermione's wand slipped from her fingers and rolled away across the wooden floor, coming to a rest against Bellatrix's boot.

The raven haired witch, still looking as deranged as seconds ago, smirked as she picked it up and rolled it through her fingers.

"YOU STUPID MUDBLOOD!" she shouted as she stalked across the room and came to a stand beside her sister and Hermione. She looked down at Narcissa, who looked up to her. "Leave us, Cissy!"

Narcissa stood up, almost looking disappointed and her robes billowed behind her when she left the room. Hermione felt a sense of relief now that the weight had shifted but she did not dare move. Bellatrix was aiming both wands at her chest. All that was left now was splintered wood, broken glass and dust. The flames had died and plumes of dark smoke circled up to the ceiling. And there was Bellatrix, who looked darker than ever.

"Stand!" Bellatrix barked and Hermione slowly rose to her feet. Instantly, Bellatrix's fingers closed around her wrist and she dragged her towards one of the leather sofa's. She pushed her down and hovered over her. Dark eyes searched her face.

"What is this magic?" she breathed.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat away. Her heart was pounding in her ribcage and she stared up at the raven haired Death Eater.

"I... What do you mean...?"

But Bellatrix did not clarify herself. Instead, she ran a slim finger along Hermione's jaw and leant in even further. She was now so close, she could see ever little line in her lips. Every eyelash, every tear still hidden in her eyes. Her skin was pale and smudges covered her flesh.

Her hand landed harshly against Hermione's skin.

"I told you to_ behave_..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

Her heart was hammering in her chest and her eyes followed Bellatrix was she paced in front of her. The dark witch had pinned her down on the sofa and the curse now pinned her down. Her hands over her head, pressed against the back of the sofa. Her feet stood firmly on the floor as if with glue. Fear had crept into her chest and whatever bit of hope she had felt before, had long since faded. She didn't want to look at Bellatrix but her eyes were drawn to the dark figure who was muttering things to herself Hermione couldn't hear. It wasn't until Bellatrix came to an unexpected stop in front of her that she heard herself take in a sharp breath.

"Your magic goes beyond anything I have ever encountered before, Granger" Bellatrix hissed as her face came dangerously close to Hermione's.

"My... magic..." Hermione stuttered, not understanding what it was Bellatrix meant. Hazel brown eyes widened as charcoal ones pierced into them. What she saw was an endless pool of darkness. Not a hint of the almost tender glares she had seen before. "I don't know..."

"STOP IT!" Bellatrix commanded and Hermione fell silent.

When she began pacing again, it gave Hermione time to organise her thoughts. There had been several times where she had felt that Bellatrix was _different_, in some way. The look in her eyes had changed and it had been as if she looked at another person. Had it been that realisation that had brought on Bellatrix's immense outburst of anger? Had it been that emotion that now left this room in devastation and has almost made her attack her own sister? But how could someone like Bellatrix possibly have any emotions at all. It was common knowledge she felt nothing. She was as cold as ice. There was no heart inside her chest. And if there was, then it was dead.

Suddenly the dark haired witch stopped walking and Hermione looked at her. She watched how her body posture changed. The tightness in her shoulders seemed to fade like snow melting for the sun. The stiffness of her fingers eased up and she held her wand differently. She no longer straightened her back completely and as she slowly turned around, Hermione recognised the look in her eyes. She took another sharp breath in.

"This is it, isn't it?" she whispered softly. "This is what frightens you?"

And it was gone again. In the blink of an eye, the tip of Bellatrix's wand pressed against her throat and Hermione swallowed when she felt the dark witch run her fingers down her collarbone.

"I know no fear, Mudblood" Bellatrix murmured, more to herself than to Hermione and she dug her nails into the swell of Hermione's breasts under her hand. In amusement she watched the young girl's face change into a mask of pain and horror. But then, a soft moan followed when Bellatrix's thumb rubbed over her nipple.

"Is that what ugly ginger has been doing to you?" Bellatrix whispered, her hand still caressing Hermione's breast. She was now straddling her again, though this time on the sofa. Her thighs closed around Hermione's waist and she pressed her own core down against the girls' stomach. Her other hand rested on the back of the sofa, close to Hermione's hair.

"I bet I can do a better job..." Bellatrix whispered huskily in her ear.

"Stop..." Hermione heard herself protest with a hoarse voice. But she couldn't move. Bellatrix's spell kept her in her seat whilst the fingers of the Death Eater began to slowly slide down her shirt until they reaches its hem. Soon, warm skin was touching soft flesh and Hermione felt herself tremble when Bellatrix's fingers crawled up her stomach towards her breasts. When she felt them against the lace of her bra, a soft sigh escaped from her throat.

"What's the fun it you cannot move..." Bellatrix whispered as her lips nipped at the side of Hermione's neck and at that same instant, the spell was lifted and Hermione could move her arms and legs.

She tried to move away from the raven haired witch but Bellatrix was heavier and she kept her down in her seat with just her lower body. Raven curls tickled her face and her neck and two strong hands had now slipped under her shirt, massaging her breasts. Every cell in her body screamed no. The fear that had controlled her heart was slowly replaced by lust. Lust she had never even known she could feel. She arched her back, pressing her upper body against Bellatrix's moving hands. Her arms closed around the Death Eater's back and fingers slipped into thick, raven curls before pulling the laces keeping in place the heavy corset she was wearing.

It seemed the vicious need to cause pain had been forgotten in this blind moment. By the orange gloom of the fire, Bellatrix slowly pulled the shirt over Hermione's head, revealing the secrets underneath. Dark eyes met hazel brown. She didn't know what she saw. Darkness entwined with light when hungry lips crashed together, exploring things they were never supposed to have tasted. Like poison it was. Sweet, slow killing, endless poison.

Bellatrix's corset slipped down her milky skin, revealing her breasts and the pureness of her flesh. Hermione placed kisses against her neck and collar bone. Soft at first but they became harder, hungrier. Teeth scraped and bit down on succulent flesh. Nails clawed, drawing blood on Bellatrix's back as she threw back her head. Raven curls rained down her back like a glorious night time waterfall.

Willingly, Hermione allowed Bellatrix to take off her jeans and knickers and clumsily, she peeled the velvet dress down Bellatrix's firm but fine shaped legs. It was Bellatrix who lay her down on her back, before resting herself between her legs. Their bodies were a strange, yet perfect fit. The contrast of raven hair against creamy skin was only enlightened by the sensual glow from the fire. The leather was cold against naked skin, though quickly warming from the heat that radiated from them. Her kisses tasted of exotic spices, of forbidden fruits and of endless desires.

A layer of sweat covered their bodies, shimmering in the dull light. Their bodies moved together, in a rhythm of magic and passion. Hermione held on to her, holding her closer than she had ever held anyone before.

"I shall make you mine" Bellatrix whispered harshly into her air before she took the final bit of innocence that had been left. In that moment, when the flames reflected in her charcoal eyes, the deranged expression returned in her eyes. And she became once again the monster of darkness when she was inside. And Hermione arched her back, crying tears of both pain and release when she felt Bellatrix bite down on the pulsating vein in her neck. Blood trickled softly down tender flesh.

"Be quiet, my little Mudblood! We wouldn't want my sister to hear us, now do we? She would only get jealous!"

Bellatrix covered Hermione's lips harshly, cruelly with her own when the trembling of Hermione's body announced the imminent arrival of her climax. She could taste her own blood in her mouth. It was both sickening and exciting. Pain laced with lust rushed through Hermione's veins and when her eyes snapped open, she found herself still in darkness. And she screamed. She screamed into a kiss that stole her voice.

And then it was gone. It was over too soon. Forgotten. She was alone and the cold suddenly overwhelmed her. She lay still, her body still covered in beads of sweat. Her skin began to feel cold against the leather. Bellatrix was gone, though her scent lingered on.

With trembling legs, Hermione slipped off the sofa and began to search the floor for her clothes. Only now did she feel the humiliation and she slowly began to realise what she had allowed Bellatrix to do. Tears stung behind her eyes as she struggled to put her jeans back on. Just as she was about to pull her shirt over her head, her arms and hands still shaking vigorously in shame and in pain, the door opened. In the beam of light coming from the hall stood Narcissa and she froze when she found Hermione, alone, getting dress.

A cold smile spread across her face as she walked further into the room and flicked her wand. The damage done by Bellatrix restored itself and within seconds the room looked like as if nothing had ever happened here. Narcissa began to circle Hermione, her eyes fixed on the younger witch. She sniffed her hair for a moment and chuckled. A chuckle that sounded an awful lot like Bellatrix's.

"Sold your soul, have you Granger?" Narcissa's lips had barely moved but she had spoken.

Hermione gasped. Every word cut into her like Bellatrix' knife had done and she reached up to touch the dried blood on her lips. Inside, she felt empty and numb. Coldness had invaded her heart. She turned to look at Narcissa and found her aiming her wand at her.

"She always was good at that, my sister. Ever since I was a little girl..." Narcissa mused and then her hand closed around Hermione's wrist. Unwillingly, Hermione followed Narcissa out of the room but couldn't help but cast a final glance over her shoulder. She searched the lingering shadows in the room for Bellatrix but she found nothing. She was alone. And Bellatrix was gone.

She followed Narcissa into the dining room. It was completely empty. On the table stood one plate and a goblet and with a glance at Narcissa, Hermione realised it was the food she had been promised. She tried not to look too eager when she sat down and picked up the cutlery. She didn't look up but could feel Narcissa's gaze lingering on her as she ate, making sure to cut her food into tiny pieces to savour it. When she sipped from her goblet, her eyes darted across the room and she found Narcissa standing by the door, guarding it. Her wand rolled through her fingers and her eyes were fixed on nothing in particular.

"Do not think you can fool me, Granger. I may not be in the Dark Lord's favour like my sister, but I am not gullible..." Narcissa hissed unexpectedly, as if she had read Hermione's mind. Their eyes locked.

"Why are you keeping me here?" Hermione questioned carefully. "If Harry would come and look for me, wouldn't he have been here by now? He hasn't searched for me since I left!"

Narcissa shrugged. "It would appear my sister has other plans for you, Granger. And whilst Bella has plans, you will stay here. Perhaps you will come in useful for the Dark Lord after all..."

"Not much of a trust worthy person is she, that sister of yours? I mean, how many people do you know who just blow up a room and then try to attack you?" Hermione unexpectedly snapped and Narcissa's eyes widened in shock. She had never expected Hermione to have the nerve to speak to her in such a tone and with a flick of her wand the table was cleared of the remaining food and drink. It was punishment for her rudeness.

"Bellatrix is..." Narcissa hesitated and for a moment it looked like she couldn't stand to speak another word. Her eyes turned to the floor and lingered there for just another moment before snapping back up. "... different..."

"No shit!" Hermione snorted. "And you figured that out all on your own?"

Narcissa closed the distance between them quickly and her hand landed harshly against Hermione's cheek. The impact was so hard that she fell off her chair and landed on the floor, at Narcissa's feet. With her own hand pressed against her cheek, Hermione looked up. She could feel the bruise coming up. Blood was trickling through her fingers where Narcissa's diamond studded ring had sliced through her skin.

"She was born for the Dark Lord!" Narcissa spoke, her tone of voice suddenly unusually soft. "And she will die for the Dark Lord"

~()~

Bellatrix stood in the middle of the room, listening to the wind as it howled around the derelict building. The wind rustled the leaves outside. It was a haunting sound. It was more haunting than the images in her head, more haunting than the voices echoing in the depths of her memories. The house had fallen apart over the years and had lost most of its former glory. Windows were broken and mildew was growing on most of the ceilings. Floorboards had cracked and doors had fallen off their hinges. She had walked from room to room since she got here, following long lost memories and distant voices. The once so beautiful Manor had been reduced to a haunted building, lying on top of a hill. No one ever came here. Only three people still knew it existed.

She stretched her neck and it felt as if something controlled her from the inside out. Something that had locked itself around her heart, like a magical chain, and it felt as if it was now strangling it. There was a force inside of her, boiling underneath the surface. And it was looking, searching, for a way out. Desperate. Hungry. Frustrated. And the contradictions inside of herself were slowly driving her insane.

She turned to the broken mirror and caught sight of a distorted reflection. What she saw in the mirror was as broken as what she felt inside.

"What is happening to me?"

~()~

Hermione looked out of the window of the room in which Narcissa had left her. The door was securely locked and it wasn't as if she could leave without a wand anyway. She had no idea where it was since the light scuffle they had over it earlier today. It was still raining and the drops were sliding down the dark glass. She stared at her own reflection, slightly darkened by the world outside. She could hear the wind rustle the leaves outside and she watched how a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky.

After her words about Bellatrix, Narcissa had not spoken another word. She had merely dragged Hermione back up the stairs and left her in this room. It had a bed, a chair and a mirror. That was it. Nothing grand and fancy and it looked nothing like the bathroom she had used earlier. The curtains were a boring, depressing dark green and reached from floor to ceiling. A small fire was the only bright thing in the room. It was slowly eating away at several logs, reducing them to ashes. She had been left in the silence and loneliness of her room, with no one to talk to and nothing to do.

Hermione walked from the window to the bed and sat down, pulling her legs up to her chest. She rocked slowly backwards and forwards and the images of what had happened in the drawing room flooded back into her mind. Bellatrix had seen her weakness and she had used it. She shivered at the thought of the Death Eater's hands on her skin; touching her like no one had ever touched her before. Tears pricked behind her eyes and slowly they began to drip down her cheeks.

She still tasted the blood on her lips and could feel the poison in her veins. Though she had given in, she still felt violated. Bellatrix had taken advantage of her when the opportunity showed itself. And it had been tender and kind at first, but now it hurt. Now it hurt so much more than the wounds on her arm. It hurt inside her stomach, inside her heart, inside her heart. Because she had believed, somewhere in that moment, that Bellatrix had been different. That she really had been different. But in the end, she hurt her like she hurt her before. And nothing had changed. Everything was still as twisted and screwed up. It was still very much the same.

She looked up when the door creaked and then opened slightly. A tall, dark figure stepped into the dimly lit room and just as another lightening flash shot across the black sky, it lit up her face. Bellatrix looked hauntingly beautiful. Her dark eyes swept across the room and came to a rest on Hermione crying on the bed.

"Narcissa said she has fed you" she stated rather matter of fact and Hermione weakly nodded. She wasn't sure whether to enjoy her presence or whether to fear her. Subconsciously, she moved further onto the bed when Bellatrix approached. Her eyes never left her dark, tall frame.

"What happened?" Bellatrix asked, strangely kind and reached out a hand to touch the red gash along Hermione's cheek. She flinched when the raven haired woman touched it and turned away.

"Nothing" she muttered, recalling the moment Narcissa's ring had cut her skin. She could still feel the pain.

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed and she withdrew her hand. "She hurt you..."

"Coming from you? How ironic!" Hermione snapped harshly and Bellatrix looked taken aback. "What, you think you can just walk back in here and be all nice after you fucked me earlier and left me with my own shame and embarrassment?"

"Her-..." Bellatrix began but her voice trailed off. As if stung by a bee, she leapt to her feet and walked away from the bed, towards the window. Her wand slipped out of her sleeve and she casually aimed it at Hermione. It was as if she was watching a possession, right before her eyes. A moment of kindness was quickly replaced by a response of anger and hatred.

"They have found Potter somewhere in Wales" Bellatrix growled and fear crept back into Hermione's heart. She sat still, her eyes lingering on the raven haired woman by the window. Now that she stood by the dark glass, with the raindrops still sliding down, she reminded her somewhat of a broken doll. "But he and that stupid ginger boyfriend of yours escaped..."

When she turned around, the anger was evident in your eyes. "The Dark Lord does not like disappointment, Granger!"

"Really? Makes you question why he hired you then" Hermione answered sharply. "You seem to be disappointing him an awful lot lately!"

She curiously watched Bellatrix and once again was reminded of the words Narcissa had said earlier. "Considering you were born for him and all..."

"What?" Bellatrix breathed and stared at Hermione. "What did you just say?"

"It's what your sister said" Hermione answered, with more confidence in her voice this time. She had no idea where it came from but somewhere, somehow, she knew Bellatrix wouldn't hurt her. Not yet anyway. She was perhaps deranged, but whatever else controlled her wasn't.

Bellatrix slowly walked towards the bed and instead of just standing beside it, she too crawled onto it and sat down in front of Hermione. Dark eyes were filled with so much more than just manic anger and Hermione couldn't help but wonder whether perhaps Narcissa's words knew a whole different meaning. A meaning she didn't understand. A meaning, it looked, Bellatrix didn't understand either.

Bellatrix took Hermione's hand into her own. A soft and tender gesture. Fingers that caressed her own, like she had done earlier. Bellatrix stretched her neck for a moment, her eyes fluttering shut. But when they reopened the tender glare was gone. It had been there, just beneath the surface. Now it had drowned in darkness once more. The kindness was gone and the tip of her wand burned down on the palm of Hermione's hand. A blister began to form, rapidly spreading.

Hermione squirmed and writhed but Bellatrix did not let go. Her nails dug into her flesh as she held on. Hermione's screams only became louder as the blister turned into a third degree burn, slowly curling up the skin of her hand. It was red and raw and her hand had begun to swell. The stench of burned flesh filled her nostrils and tears began to stream down her tears. She wretched and the food giving to her earlier by Narcissa was making its way back up.

And then Bellatrix let go. She restored her wand and slipped off the bed. Without looking back, she hurried out of the room. The door slammed shut behind her.

Hermione fell back on the bed, clutching her burned hand. The pain was intense and her hand was throbbing. Tears dripped down her cheeks and seeped into her pillow. She was sobbing, curled up into foetal position. Outside the thunder roared dangerously. The world was shrouded in darkness and mist and by the time she finally fell asleep, her hand still throbbing, the flames had long died in the fireplace.

~()~

She was awoken by the door opening and someone walking towards her bed. When she sat up she immediately became aware of the pain in her hand she looked down. It was red, swollen and more blisters had formed. She swallowed to control the nausea she was feeling and her eyes snapped up to identify the person who had entered the room. It was Narcissa and her eyes were lingering on Hermione's hands.

"I see Bella came to visit" she spoke cynically and extended her own left hand. There, on her pale flesh, sat a badly healed scar. It was perhaps the only thing that desecrated Narcissa's flawless appearance. "She always did have a way of making things last forever..."

Hermione shook her head at the irony and slowly sat up, clutching her damaged hand. She looked up at Narcissa. She felt hostile towards her. Nothing good ever seemed to come from her. It seemed that when it came to cruelty and pain, Narcissa was no better than her sister.

"What is wrong with her?" Hermione questioned and Narcissa shot her a questioning look. "Apart from the obvious, I mean..."

"I suggest you stop asking questions, Granger. Nothing could will come from it" Narcissa said and straightened her back. "Now, come down stairs and eat your breakfast..."


	6. Chapter 6

I owe the plot to this story to my lovely wife. We met through FFN in April 2007 and I have been the happiest girl in the world ever since_; _we got married September 11th and I love her with all my heart.

_~()~_

_Masquerade!  
Seething shadows  
breathing lies.  
Masquerade!  
You can fool  
any friend who  
ever knew you!  
~Masquerade – The Phantom Of The Opera~_

_~()~_

**Chapter 5**

Her breakfast consisted of the simple basics and her tea was cold. But Hermione ate and drank anyway, not knowing when or if she would have her next meal. Once again, Narcissa guarded the door, leaning against the wood. She let her eyes shamelessly linger on the young brunette at the table.

"Why did you come back?" she unexpectedly asked and Hermione almost dropped the goblet that contained her stale, cold tea. It didn't taste very nice but it was liquid and it would keep her alive.

"What?" Hermione questioned in confusion and looked at Narcissa.

"You escaped. You and your friends and that bloody elf!" Narcissa sounded agitated and began pacing in front of the door. She shot another glance at Hermione. "And you come back here, with my sister's wand and on your own. And they told me you were intelligent!"

The mention of Dobby reminded Hermione of Harry's blood stained hands. She remembered how Dobby had spoken his last few words before dying in Harry's arms. She could still see him dig the grave with a spade, without using magic. The tears had streamed down his face. The pain in her chest only expanded when she thought of Harry and Ron. She missed them, in some way. She regretted ever having left.

"I think you know why I came back. It's why you haven't let me out of your sight unless she's around..." Hermione answered and pushed her plate away. She had barely touched the food. Cold tea she could live with but moulded bread was too much. She'd rather go hungry for the rest of the day. She folded her arms and looked at Narcissa. She had stopped pacing and stared at Hermione as if she was a curious object she encountered for the first time.

"What are you babbling about, Granger?"

"The changes in Bellatrix" Hermione stated matter of fact. "You've noticed it too. And it seems to frighten you even more than it frightens her...It's why she lost her mind in the drawing room. It's why she burned my hand. And I bet it's the same reason she burned yours!"

"My sister is crazy, Granger. She always has been. She doesn't feel anything..." Narcissa pointed out and with a flick of her wand the plate and goblet disappeared. The empty table now stood between them. Sunlight fell through one of the large window. "You didn't eat your food"

"I think my chances of dying are higher if I do eat than when I don't" Hermione answered, her eyes still fixed on Narcissa. She pushed her chair back and walked towards the door. When Narcissa didn't attempt to stop her from opening it, she turned the doorknob and left the dining room. She froze in her steps when she discovered Bellatrix standing right outside the door. Her breath chocked in the back of her threat and her pulse began racing. Almost immediately the images of their encounter in the drawing room flooded back into her mind, followed by the pain in her hand and her arm.

"Leave" Bellatrix growled in her direction. "I need to speak to my sister"

"And where do you suggest I go?" Hermione asked.

"Do I look like I care, Mudblood?" Bellatrix bit in her direction as she filed past her into the dining room and approached Narcissa, who was now standing by the table. The door slammed shut behind her and the lock turned.

Hermione stood frozen for a second or two. It was the first time she was allowed to move freely around the Manor. Clearly Bellatrix didn't expect her to try and leave an Hermione suspected that any method of escaping had been thought of. So when she approached the front door, she wasn't surprised to find a magical force field preventing her from reaching the door knob. The same went for all the windows and fire places. After having tried several doors and windows, she gave up and began walking across the long, high ceilinged hall way towards another room, to the left of the drawing room. The door was slightly ajar and she pushed it open further, revealing the immense library behind it. A fire was burning quietly in the fire place and several comfortable leather chairs stood in strategic positions along the floor to ceiling book cases. One stood by the window and another by the fire.

Hermione couldn't resist and stepped into the room. She walked towards the nearest bookcase and ran her finger along the titles of the books. Every book ever written in the magical world seemed to be here and she was briefly reminded of the extensive collection back at Hogwarts. Though in Hogwarts she could always find what she was looking for. Here, she had no idea what was what and she suspected half the collection contained some form of dark magic. This was Malfoy Manor after all.

She came to a stop when she reached a small table, standing beside the leather chair nearest to the fire. A book rested in the seat and her hazel eyes narrowed when she looked down at the old faded leather cover. A family crest had been imprinted into it but the hands of time had faded its title. Careful not to damage any of the material she picked up the book and sat down in the chair. The book felt heavy and she rested it on her lap. Her fingers traced the damaged leather and the family crest. The writing above the crest was in French but she still knew what it meant. Toujours Pure. Always Pure. It was the Black family motto.

With her heart pounding against her chest, Hermione opened the book and began to flick through the pages. It seemed that the book held the bloodlines for the whole Black family and any family they had married into or any family that had married into them. Over the years the pages had become fragile and thin and some of the names and words had been almost erased. But still Hermione could see a drawn out family tree, which looked a lot like the tapestry she had once seen in Grimmauld Place.

She sat like this for awhile, reading the Black family history and looking at some of the pictures. When she reached what seemed to be the final pages of the book she found a picture of a man who looked a lot like Bellatrix, the same dark hair and dark eyes, and a woman, who also had dark hair but blue eyes. In front of them stood three young girls. Two of them looked so much alike that they could be mistaken for twins. Both had thick, heavy curls and dark eyes and their smiles were identical. Bellatrix and Andromeda looked like they were from a different world, compared to the last daughter. The third girl in the picture was a few years younger than her sisters and had dark, straight hair with various blonde streaks, reaching down to her shoulders.

"What are you doing with that?" Bellatrix's harsh voice came from the door and Hermione's head whipped up. Bellatrix already stalked across the room and snatched the book from her hands. "How dare you touch that with your filthy hands?"

Then Bellatrix's gaze dropped to the burn wound on Hermione's hand. It had been left unattended and looked raw and sore. Her eyes narrowed and she put the book down on the small table before kneeling down in front of Hermione, taking her hand into her own. Her touch was gentle, soft and almost caring.

Hermione's lips trembled for a moment but then she found her voice. "Bella?"

Charcoal eyes looked up. "This needs treating"

"I...I know" Hermione answered.

Narcissa came walking into the room and found her sister kneeling down in front of Hermione, her hand resting in her own. Dark eyes widened in shock and her gaze darted from Bellatrix's face to Hermione's. She shook her head.

"Bella, Severus calls for you. He is in the drawing room with Lucius and Yaxley" she said coldly and watched how Bellatrix hesitated to get up. "He said it was urgent, Bella!"

Bellatrix stood up and rushed out of the room, leaving Hermione with Narcissa. The older witch approached the young brunette, her eyes piercing into Hermione's. Slowly she let a hand slide down Hermione's cheek, until she reached her chin and prompted her to look up to her. "Do not think my sister cares, Granger"

"You know what is happening to her. I can see it in your eyes" Hermione answered with a shaking voice. "Whenever she is kind, she retaliates with anger" She grasped Narcissa's hand and the older witch flinched when Hermione exposed her scar. "What did she do before she did this? Smile at you? Remind you of the sister you once had?"

Narcissa pulled free from Hermione's grip and grabbed her arm with such force it was sure to leave bruises the next day. Unsightly bruises against her already desecrated flesh. She pulled Hermione onto her feet until their bodies were but mere inches apart. Hermione could feel Narcissa's warm breath against her skin. She was so much like her sister and at the same time she wasn't like Bellatrix at all. Narcissa's lips came closer until they nearly brushed against Hermione's. "I told you to stop asking questions, Granger! This has got nothing to do with you!"

"Doesn't it?" breathed Hermione. "If it has got nothing to do with me, then why do you keep me here?"

The tension between them grew and the magic was boiling underneath the surface, looking for a way out. She could sense Narcissa wanted to hate her. The look in her piercing gaze tells her so. But she could also sense she didn't. That Narcissa's lust for control and power was almost as intense as that of her sister. There was something the older witch couldn't help, couldn't resist.

And suddenly Narcissa's lips were against her own. Her hands slipped from her wrists down to her waist and she pulled her closer, until their bodies crashed together and stumbled backwards, coming to a rest against one of the bookcases. Hermione was pressed against the wood and could feel the leather covers in her back. Narcissa's hands were more impatient than Bellatrix's hands had been and Hermione fought to free herself from her. But they were stronger too, already tugging at the hem of her shirt and fiddling with the button of her jeans.

"STOP!" Hermione whispered when Narcissa's hungry lips left her own and attack the flesh of her neck. She pushed against the older witch to try and step away from her, but Narcissa's grip only tightened. Fear began to rush through her veins. Her heart hammered in her chest and every cell in her body wanted to move away from her. "STOP!"

"She won't hear you..." Narcissa whispered into Hermione's ear and her hand trailed up her bare stomach. Hermione's skin was glowing and felt hot under her touch. "Nobody can hear us...And she's already had you... It is my turn now..."

"Please..." Hermione begged when Narcissa's hands slipped around her back and unhooked her bra before sliding towards the front and cupping her breasts. Tears were now sliding down her cheeks and Narcissa's thigh planted itself forcefully between her legs. She was panting and every breath hurt. "Just... stop..."

Narcissa softly bit down on the pulsating vein in Hermione's neck and her hand roughly trailed down her stomach before unzipping her jeans. Skilled, trained finger slipped behind the denim fabric and harsh eyes widened when they encountered the soft material of her knickers.

"Don't be a fool, Granger" Narcissa hissed as fingers slipped behind the final barrier.

Hermione writhed but couldn't resist the bucking of her hips when Narcissa's fingers slide down just that little bit further. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip to stiffle her moan and she tasted the sweetness of her own blood. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt Narcissa repeat what Bellatrix had done to her. Though now her body did not relax. Now her body did not enjoy the touch.

Narcissa's other hand slipped into Hermione's hair and grabbed a fist full of curls. She held her tight as her hand continued to move behind her jeans and the stifled moans coming from Hermione's throat slowly increased. Her hands, desperate as they had been to free herself from Narcissa's invasive touches, were now clutching on to the older woman's robes.

"Look at me..." Narcissa commanded and against her will, Hermione's eyes opened. She was forced to look into Narcissa's eyes and saw the misplaced pleasure that lingered there. Involuntarily, her body moved along with Narcissa's touch, her pelvis pressed against the palm of her hand.

Neither of them heard the door open once again and neither saw the figure clad in black hurry across the room until the heavy candle stick landed down on Narcissa's shoulder. Hermione could hear the bones break under the impact. It was a sickening sound. Narcissa's scream was loud and raw, filled with the pain and anger. She spun around, clutching her shoulder with her other hand and found Bellatrix standing behind her. Hatred flickered in her charcoal eyes.

"Ah ah ah..." Narcissa laughed demonically and stared at her sister. She did a remarkable job at hiding her pain. "This is not how we treat our siblings, now is it, Bella?"

"Leave her!" Bellatrix hissed through clenched teeth and her eyes darted towards Hermione, who was struggling to button up her jeans. Her hands were shaking and her hair was a mess. When she looked up and found the look in Bellatrix's eyes, she realised how broken the raven haired Death Eater really was. She stood frozen, fixated and she watched how Bellatrix dropped the silver candle stick. The thud when it landed against the wooden floor echoed off the walls.

"You are becoming weak, Bella!" Narcissa taunted her older sister. Venom dripped from her words and it was clear she meant every word. "The Dark Lord's most favourite has become a lapdog to a Mudblood!"

"She wasn't yours to take!" Bellatrix shrieked and the familiar manic expression returned in her eyes. Her wand slipped from her sleeve and she aimed it at her sister.

"You ought to have thought about that before you brought her here, Bella!" Narcissa mirrored her sister's movements in drawing her wand. "You brought her into _my_ house. I can do to her as I deem fit!"

Hermione stood pressed against the bookcase, her eyes darted from one sister to the other. Her heart was about to explode in her chest, yet she felt cold. Like ice had spread across her insides. She was happy Bellatrix had burst in. Narcissa's touches had been harsher and far less sensual than Bellatrix's and she had longed for her to stop the moment she had started. The bile rose in the back of her throat and her knees became weak. She dropped to the floor with a thud, clutching her stomach. She was tired and she ached inside.

Bellatrix was panting, her eyes still fixed on her sister. "You're a demon, Cissy!"

"Not as much as you are, Bellatrix!" Narcissa retaliated and took two steps in her sister's direction. "I will never be as dead as you are!"

Bellatrix looked as if she was about to hex her sister but instead, she turned on her heels and ran out of the room. Narcissa turned to face Hermione, triumph flickering in her eyes, and her evil smirk spread when she discovered her on all fours on the floor, heaving. "Now, my pet, where were we?"

"If you tell me the truth I promise I will do whatever you ask..." Hermione whispered and forced herself to look up into dark eyes. Narcissa slowly walked towards her and used the tip of her boot to force Hermione to sit up straight. Her stomach was still twisting and turning and she felt sick. Tears burned behind her eyes and her body trembled in shock, horror, fear and humiliation. The dampness between her legs reminded her of what Narcissa had done. And how a small part of her had enjoyed it.

Narcissa seemed to measure Hermione's words for a moment and then she nodded. She slowly sat down in the leather chair and beckoned for Hermione to come over. Too weak too stand, she crawled across the wooden floor. Her stomach rumbled. She was hungry. Her body had weakened under the lack of food and water and her mouth was dry. She could see Narcissa's eyes light up in amusement as she crawled towards her. She sat down beside her legs, her head at the level of her knees, like a dog. She flinched when Narcissa petted the back of her head.

"My sister is cursed, my pet" Narcissa said in a mocking tone.

Hermione thought that was rather an understatement but knew better than to speak. She sat still, with her back straight and her hands folded against her chest. Narcissa still stroked the back of her head and though humiliating, the touch was almost comforting.

"Truly cursed, my pet. By magic stronger and older you can even begin to imagine. It goes beyond anything anybody has ever encountered before." Narcissa continued and Hermione felt her heartbeat increase. "Her life is merely a payment for a debt that never could have been paid in another way..."

Silence lingered for several moments and Hermione's eyes were drawn to the fireplace. The flames had reduced the logs of wood to ash and only dying embers remained.

"You see, many years ago someone made the foolish mistake to attempt and defy the Dark Lord. Once a soul has been given, it cannot be reclaimed. But he insisted he wanted to return to the days where his soul still belonged to himself..." Narcissa spoke with a deep, husk voice and Hermione had to lean in against her legs to focus on her voice as it reduced to a whisper. "The Dark Lord agreed that they could reclaim their soul but only if sufficient payment was made. A soul for a soul. The young man had no other soul to give but he was too afraid to die so he made a promise... A promise to present the Dark Lord with a soul so pure it could be formed to his wishes. He offered the soul of a child..."

Hermione felt a cold shiver creep down her spine and her heart seemed to freeze in her chest. "Bella..."

"My father sold the soul of his unborn daughter to the Dark Lord for the favour of regaining is own life.. The night Bella was born, the Dark Lord reminded Father of his promise and from that day forward Bella was raised with one sole purpose..." Narcissa finished her story in a voice almost too gentle, too soft for the harsh reality of her words. "The magic that bound her soul to the Dark Lord was so powerful she has never known different..."

It was the darkest tale she had ever heard. Innocent had been used as a prize, a part of a deal with the devil, and a soul had been bought and sold out of pure selfishness.

Hermione stirred and looked up to Narcissa. "And she doesn't know?"

"No. No one was ever to know. I merely heard Father one night, as he spoke to Mother. Their arguments were always about Bella. About what Father had done..." Dark eyes looked down at Hermione by her feet. "Now you see why my sister will die for the Dark Lord, Granger. There is no other way. Nothing can lift the spell..."

Hermione shivered. The truth of her search, her journeys with Harry and Ron, and what they had learned, had never felt more real. And the pieces began to fall into place. Hazel eyes snapped up to look at Narcissa, who slowly stood up. Hermione felt herself cower away when Narcissa extended her hand and she was hesitant to take it. Narcissa helped her up but she felt her wand in her back when she pushed her out of the room. They walked into the drawing room and Narcissa turned in the open door. The room was empty. Even the sofas and chairs had been removed. There was nothing there apart from the fire. It might as well have been a dungeon.

Narcissa pushed her inside and the doors closed behind her with a slamming sound. It echoed off the stone walls and Hermione's eyes drifted across the empty room. She was a prisoner once again and she hurried towards the fire. The cold could not be avoided in this house and her treatment varied from moment to moment. But as she knelt down beside the orange flames and felt its soothing heat warm her bones, her brain regained some of its strength and began to fit the pieces together.

Bellatrix had been born as payment to Voldemort. Her soul had been intended for him to claim and he had. According Narcissa nothing could break the charm but Hermione knew that any charm was broken whenever the person who had cast it died, regardless of the strength of the spell. It had been what happened to Harry when Dumbledore had died that night on the Astronomy Tower. Perhaps Narcissa believed that years and years of magic inflicted upon a soul left the magic unable to be broken.

Hermione's heart was hammering in her chest in fear and excitement. She hadn't been wrong when she believed to have seen something deep beyond Bellatrix's eyes. Whatever lived under the magic, underneath the charm, was pressing against its glass surroundings and was looking for a way out. So what had weakened its defences? Why now? Why not years ago? Why not ten years from now?

"Horcruxes..."

It left her lips in a whisper and she sat up with a jolt. Voldemort could only be destroyed if all the items containing a piece of his soul were destroyed. With all the Horcruxes intact, he was at his full strength but two of the items had already been destroyed and they had found the third one. And perhaps, Ron and Harry had managed to destroy the locket by now. It meant that pieces of Voldemort's soul were dead. Pieces of Voldemort were dead. And his charms had begun to crumble.

Hermione leapt to her feet and began pacing the room. She tried fitting more pieces of the puzzle into place but nothing else seemed to fit. Frustration came to the surface when she walked towards the window and realised she couldn't touch the glass. She was trapped.

The door opened and she spun around, half and half expecting Narcissa. Her pulse began to race when she found Bellatrix strolling across the distance of the room. Dark eyes searched her face and Hermione could only feel what she had felt in that very first moment. A sense of hope. A sense of something that told her not everything was lost.

But when Bellatrix's harsh finger closed around her wrist and yanked her towards her, Hermione was cruelly reminded there was a long way still to go. And the only way she would ever find out the truth was if she managed to escape.

~()~

Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head and her throat was hoarse and dry from screaming. Her breathing was shallow and if not for her chest rising and falling slowly, it was hard to tell she was still alive. A layer of sweat covered her bruised and battered skin, shimmering in the dim light from the fire. She was covered in bruises, scratches and swollen bite marks. The marks desecrated her skin. She lay naked on the wooden floor, her legs still spread and her arms still wide. Strings of bushy hair covered her swollen face. Burgundy drops dripped down her fingers where the silver blade had cut her skin. The dampness between her legs cruelly reminded her of what Bellatrix had done to her. She didn't move though she became increasingly aware of the cold that was invading her bones. She couldn't move. The pain was just too strong. She stared at the high ceiling, grey and endless in colour and size.

The sound of boots echoed off the wall and her eyes searched for the familiar velvet skirt as the figure came into view. Bellatrix hovered over her. Empty charcoal eyes fixed on her face and her lips twitched, curling up into a demonic smile. There was a gleam in her eyes. Blood still glistened on her fingertips where she had tasted the blood from Hermione's veins.

"Good little Mudblood" she lisped, her words laced with the same venomous poison that had attacked her mere minutes ago. The same anger was still evident in her voice. The same and anger that had made her ravage her, ripped the clothes from her body and threw her to the floor before she violated her.

And Hermione was left to her own memories, her own pain and her own dwellings when she watched Bellatrix leave the room. Her heart was only beating slowly in her chest and she slowly rolled up into a ball, her body aching and more bruises appeared on her skin. And she rocked herself, naked and alone, and for the first time she wondered if perhaps she had been wrong.

Maybe she hadn't seen anything at all that day. Maybe everything she had seen, and thought she knew, had been a lie. A misplaced projection of her own hope. Of her own longing. A masquerade of her heart, her soul. And maybe she had now ended up here with one sole purpose; to suffer and to die.


	7. Chapter 7

~()~

_Everything we see hides another thing;  
we always want to see what is hidden by what we see.  
Rene Magritte_

_~()~_

**Chapter 6**

She had no idea how long she had been lying on the cold floor. Outside the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and night had fallen. It had been light when she last looked up to the window but now only darkness greeted her. Dried blood stuck to her lips and the pain had not faded. Her body was stiff and cold and she became increasingly aware of the thumping headache and the nausea. She flinched as she carefully forced herself to sit up. Her eyes scanned the floor, looking for the shreds of clothing she had been wearing hours ago. She shivered; she was cold. Her fingers and toes felt numb.

Carefully Hermione touched the swollen side of her face and flinched. Her eye was stinging and she could only imagine what she looked like. With trembling fingers she drew the pieces of cloth towards her. Her jeans had been reduced to shreds of denim and her shirt had been ripped cleanly in half. She attempted to put her jeans back on as any cover from the fabric meant keeping in heat. She attempted to wrap the torn shirt around the top half of her body and then slowly, careful not to lose her balance as the dizziness overwhelmed her, she crawled onto all fours before rising up to stand on her own to feet.

The world was spinning rapidly and the nausea only increased. With tender, careful steps she approached the window and placed a hand against the dark glass. The fire had died in the fireplace and nothing remained but smouldering ashes. The room was filled with shadows and weak silver moonlight fell onto the floor, revealing where her blood had stained the wooden floor boards.

She took a deep breath before allowing herself to look up and braced herself for the reflection she would see in the glass. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she caught her own eyes and a gasp escaped from her throat. The right side of her face was swollen and covered in bruises and dried blood. Her eye was almost completely shut and stung repeatedly when she reached up to touch it again. There was blood in the corner of her mouth, under her nose and in her hair. One of her teeth had sunken through her lip, causing it to swell and bleed and a blood filled blister was clearly visible.

"So much hatred..."

She turned around too quickly and had to grab the window sill when the world began to spin once again. With blurred vision in the one eye that had not been beaten shut, she discovered Narcissa. She had walked into the room quietly. Horror filled her dark eyes and now not even the dark haired witch could hide her shock. She closed the distance between her and Hermione and grabbed her arm in support when it looked like the young brunette was about to tumble to the floor. She softly guided Hermione down to the ground and an arm slipped around her shoulders, carefully pulling Hermione towards her. The younger witch was reluctant but also weak and she rested her battered body against Narcissa's.

"She... she knows..." Hermione whispered. Every word hurt. "She knows there is something wrong with her..."

Narcissa shook her head and suddenly seemed to become aware how she was holding Hermione. Her arm slipped away from her shoulders and she moved a few inches to the other side, her eyes still not leaving the young woman's battered face. "She doesn't. She has never known..."

"So she does this for _fun_?" Hermione couldn't hide her sarcasm and gestured towards her face. "Without a wand? Your sister used her bare hands... That is degrading, especially for a witch of her skill"

"What is it you want to achieve?" Narcissa sounded almost like her haughty self again and she stood back up. The calm, kind look in her eyes had been exploded by instant contempt. "Bellatrix is doomed..."

"I have worked it out..." Hermione whispered, more to herself than to Narcissa. She shivered. The cold was really getting to her now and she shook her head. "I have worked it out... And I can help her..."

"No one can help Bella" Narcissa scoffed and arched an eyebrow. "And they told you were clever..."

"I knew there was something. That moment, when she sat on top of me..." Hermione continued, ignoring Narcissa completely. She staggered across the room, resting her hand against the wall when she reached the other side. Her back was turned to Narcissa. Her body ached after just these few steps. She didn't turn around. "Let me go..."

"Excuse me?" Narcissa asked. "What did you just say?"

"Let me go" Hermione repeated and turned around, looking at the other woman. Narcissa was standing by the window, unmoving. Her slender hand rested on the window sill.

"She will do no such thing!" came a familiar sharp voice from the door and Hermione looked in the direction of the noise. Bellatrix had appeared in the door frame, her dark eyes fixed on Hermione and her lips curled up into a devious smile, much like the smile that had lingered on her face when she abused her earlier. "Narcissa may have married an idiot, but she isn't thick..."

Bellatrix's dark eyes shot across the room, meeting Narcissa's. The look in her eyes was so fierce if could be felt across the whole house. Hermione heard Narcissa take in a sharp breath of air and then the faint clicking of her heels told her that she was quickly leaving. She filed past her raven haired sister without looking back at Hermione. The sound of her heels faded in the distance as she made her way across the corridor and eventually, it died off and she was gone.

Bellatrix slowly strode across the room and held still right in front of Hermione. Dark eyes scrutinized her face and lingered on the swollen eye. But the intensity faded the longer she looked at the younger brunette and a slim hand, with long, slender fingers reached up. Hermione automatically cowered away against the wall, hoping it would just make her go invisible, but she froze when she felt Bellatrix's soft fingers against her swollen eye. Her touch was gentle, almost caressing and her features softened.

"I know you're in there... I have seen you..." Hermione breathed and carefully pressed her bruised face against Bellatrix's hand. Earlier she had believed it had been her imagination but now, with Bellatrix's hand gently against her skin, she knew she hadn't been wrong. They were both tainted, albeit in so many different ways. But before her stood a tainted, broken woman who, in a way, was very much like herself. And she could see herself in those charcoal eyes, no matter how distorted and damaged.

Bellatrix's breath was warm against her skin and Hermione felt a sudden tingling in her stomach. Bellatrix's fingers were still caressing her and a warm, sensitive glowing feeling began to spread across her skin. And it began to erase the pain. And Bellatrix's lips came closer still.

"Let me heal you..."

And Hermione leant in. Against everything, she leant in. She felt raven curls tickle her skin. And she met soft, burgundy lips that tasted of sweet poison and tainted blood. Bellatrix's fingers still cherished her bruised flesh but she could feel the bruising begin to settle down and the swelling came down as their lips were pressed together. Hermione's heart cried and ached in her chest, yearning for something she knew she could very well never find whilst being here. And even though Bellatrix's other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer still, she could not shed the brokenness, the pain and the devastation in her chest.

When they eventually parted, Hermione gasped for air. Her eyes had fluttered shut and she was almost afraid to open her eyes, not sure whose eyes she would meet if she did. But the pain was gone. The pressure behind her eye had disappeared and the warm glow that had spread through her skin was gone. And slowly hazel brown eyes opened, ready to face the world.

What she found was a pair of charcoal eyes, almost desperate to meet her own. Bellatrix's eyes had not changed. Her fingers caressed the inside of her wrist and their bodies were still closely pressed together. Only now did she become aware of the uncomfortable lines of the wall pressing into her back and she let her breath escape. She had barely been aware she was holding it again.

"What did you say to my sister? I overheard you... " Bellatrix questioned curiously.

"There is something I must do, Bella. Something that will benefit everybody greatly..." Hermione answered softly and tears welled up in her eyes. She thought about Ron and Harry. She had no idea where they were and how far they had come with the Horcruxes. She wasn't even sure whether her theory was right.

Bellatrix cocked her head. Something shimmered in the depths of her eyes. Something unexplainable. Something Hermione had not yet seen, till now. "You begged her to let you go..."

"It is the only way. Bella, for this war to end, you must let me go..." Hermione said and a shaking hand now slowly slipped up and tenderly touched the raven haired woman's face. She could see her flinch, could feel her shiver, under her touch. "Everything will fall apart if you keep me here. Sure, I will serve useful for the Dark Lord. But I can change everything... And as much as the Dark Lord wants Potter, it is only I who now holds the key to everything..."

"Everything?" Bellatrix breathed, sounding rather wary.

Hermione shakily nodded. Her mouth had become strangely dry and her heart was hammering in her chest. Merlin only knew how much time she had before the spell would cover Bellatrix's personality once more. "Everything. And I know you have little reason to, but I ask you to trust me. All I need is time. And freedom"

"What about Potter?" Bellatrix questioned and Hermione detected a hint of her hostility, laced through her words.

She took a deep breath. "You will have him."

Bellatrix stepped away from her, revealing the door once again and she looked at Hermione. Dark eyes rapidly changed colour and from her sleeve she drew a wand. A wand that wasn't Bellatrix's but Hermione realised it as her own. She had not seen it since her first time here and she gasped when Bellatrix extended her hand. It felt like she was being rejoined with one of her limps when she took it and clutched it between her fingers. She flicked it a few times and new items of clothes appeared, replacing the torn rags she was wearing. Her eyes never left Bellatrix's.

There was no time left and Hermione just began to run. She ran across the room, through the open door and into the high ceilinged hall. Candles flickered as she rushed past, creating odd shadows across the floor. Her footsteps echoed off the walls but nobody followed her. The front door was ajar and Hermione burst out into the cold night. Fresh, cool air found its way into her lungs and the gravel snapped under her boots. She was breathing so fast the fresh air barely made it into her lungs and the cold wind took her breath away. She coughed, her lungs pressed against her ribcage. Her hot breath created little clouds in the dark sky and she just kept running. In the distance the large metal gates doomed up out of nowhere and Hermione came to a halt. They were closed.

She slowly looked over her shoulder. She could feel the intense gaze lingering on her. It was something haunting. The Manor lay behind her now but she was not yet free. She was still inside the gates and it would only take a second for any Death Eater to capture her once again. She could still barely believe Bellatrix had let her go. And as she stood still, musing over all these things, she realised how lucky she had been. Her hazel brown eyes fixed on the second floor of the Manor. Dim lights flickered behind some of the dark windows and she discovered the shadow watching her. She could just about tell apart the heavy black curls against the weak orange gloom of the room. Bellatrix was watching her. And with a soft squeaking noise the gates opened and revealed the safety behind it.

Hermione did not hesitate and clutched her wand as she slipped through the narrow opening. Almost instantly the gates closed again. She had no coat and now the chilly midnight wind began to get to her. She flicked her wand several times, muttering the incantation under her breath, and a thick travelling cloak appeared. She swung it over her shoulders and nervously her eyes shot around. There was nobody else here but her.

She had no idea where she was going now. Ron and Harry were travelling and when she had left them they had been at Shell Cottage in Wales. She closed her eyes and tried to call up her friend's faces from the depths of her mind. Their images were distorted, laced with prying black eyes and venomous words. The memory of Bellatrix polluted her memories of her friends and it was with agony that Hermione let go of that thought and called up another familiar image in her head.

She Disapparated with a faint pop, without having a real idea about what she was leaving behind or whether she would ever be able to change anything that lingered between those walls.

~()~

She heard the wind rustle through the corn and she slowly opened her eyes. It was almost too good to be true and she had to take some time to actually believe her own eyes. She stood at the edge of a corn field, surrounding The Burrow. Lights were burning behind the kitchen and living room window and Hermione's heart leapt up in her chest when she recognised the plump figure of Mrs Weasley standing in the kitchen doing what looked like the washing up.

She shot a few quick glances around and now that she was sure she was truly alone, she left the safety of the corn field and made her way towards the front door, being careful to stay in the shadows. She had not seen any of the Weasley's since the night the Death Eaters invaded the wedding and she knew that Ron had not seen any of his family either when he had left them just before Christmas. As she knocked against the solid wood of the front door, Hermione listened to the shuffling footsteps inside. She had no idea what she was going to say or do when she was faced with Mrs Weasley but Hogwarts was no longer safe. For now, The Burrow was the safest place there was in the whole wide world.

"Who is it?" called the familiar voice of Mrs Weasley from inside. More muffled could be heard in the kitchen and Hermione suspected the rest of the family stood ready, with their wands drawn.

"My name is Hermione Jean Granger. Best friend of Harry James Potter and Ronald Billius Weasley. My Patronus takes the shape of an otter and I accompanied Harry and Ron on a mission set out by Albus Dumbledore..." Hermione heard her own voice though it sounded very little like her.

The front door opened and was nearly torn of its hinges by the eagerness with which Mrs Weasley wanted to see her. When she saw Ron's mom standing in the open door, Hermione couldn't help herself. Tears welled up in her eyes and she just stumbled into the kitchen, tripping over the door step and landing straight into Mrs Weasley's arms. The red haired woman caught her and quickly hurried her across the room towards the kitchen table, summoning tea and soup as she did so. Excited voices began to fill the house when Ginny, Fred and George realised the late night visitor was Hermione. But all their faces became pale when they realised she was alone.

"Hermione!" Mrs Weasley whispered and brushed a strand of brown hair out of her face. "Oh we have been so worried! We are Harry and Ron? Are they all right? Where have you been? Bill told us you had arrived at Shell Cottage but wouldn't say..."

"Molly, give her some space to breath..." spoke Mr Weasley calmly and Molly nodded and quickly began busying herself in the kitchen, preparing a very late supper for everybody. Bowls of soup landed on the table mere minutes later and the familiar scent of her famous onion soup filled the house.

"Here" Ginny said and handed Hermione a steaming mug of tea. Her brown eyes searched Hermione's face.

"Thanks" Hermione whispered and stared at the drink. She still didn't quite know why she had come here. She put the mug down without drinking anything and looked around the table. Mrs Weasley was standing in the door way to the kitchen, attempting to keep a brave face about the fact her son's friend had come back alone. Fred, George, Ginny and Mrs Weasley were all staring at her.

"What happened, Hermione?" Mr Weasley eventually asked and anticipation began to fill the room.

"We arrived at Shell Cottage..." Hermione began, leaving out how or why they had ended up there. "The three of us. And Luna and Mr Olivander, too. They are safe, but I trust you know that..."

Mr Weasley nodded. "They have been moved to Aunt Muriel's house for now. Bill said we should go too but I reckon we can hold out here a little bit longer. Even though You-Know-Who knows Ron is with you and Harry, or was with you, he still has no way of penetrating the defences surrounding this house. Fidelius Charm, you see."

Hermione slowly nodded. "We were at Shell Cottage. And... I realised something. Something that I had seen when..." She paused. If she was to explain why she had left her friends, she had to tell them what had happened at Malfoy Manor. "Before we arrived at Shell Cottage, we were captured by some Snatchers. When they realised it was Harry, they took us to Malfoy Manor..."

Mrs Weasley covered her mouth with her hand. "Bill said... you looked like..."

Hermione automatically clutched the sleeve of the arm where Bellatrix had cut her. She was still covered in cuts and bruises across her body, though Bellatrix had healed her face. Her fingertips brushed against the inside of her arm, tracing the word MUDBLOOD under her shirt. She shivered.

"They locked Harry and Ron in the dungeon and... Bellatrix Lestrange interrogated me..." Hermione said meaningfully. She needn't explain Bellatrix's interrogations tactics to anyone present here. Everybody knew what she had done to the Longbottoms. "But, as she was doing that, I noticed there was something odd about her. Something... strange..." Her hazel eyes searched out Mr Weasley. "Like when someone is under the Imperius Curse and the influence begins to crumble?"

He slowly nodded, intrigued by her story. "Bellatrix Lestrange looked like she was going to crumble?"

Hermione shrugged. "I have no other way to describe it. We managed to escape from the Manor with Dobby's help and he took us to Shell Cottage. But Bellatrix... she killed him..." Tears began to trickle down her cheeks now that the image of Dobby with Bellatrix's knife in his chest flooded back into her mind. "That night, I couldn't stop thinking. And... I left. I knew the others were safe at Shell Cottage. And I knew there was something there. Something that could help us in some way. And I went back..."

"Back?" Ginny questioned.

"Back to Malfoy Manor" Hermione answered and now everybody stared at her as if she was crazy but no one spoke. She took a deep breath. "I had no wand. Bellatrix took it while we were imprisoned but we took hers instead. So I used her wand to get in but she found me. And she kept me at the Manor for all this time, trying to work out what was going on with Harry and Ron. But while I was there, I realised I was right..." Her eyes shot back to Mr Weasley. "Bellatrix Lestrange is under a spell"

"That's one way to describe clinical insanity" Fred said sarcastically.

Hermione shook her head and picked up her tea. She took her first sip and the warm liquid began to erase some of the cold she felt inside. She sighed, her fingers clutching the warm mug. "Narcissa Malfoy told me that from the moment she was born, Bellatrix's soul had magically been bound to You-Know-Who. A deal her father made when he tried to defy him. To repay him he had to give up his first born child. A deal with the devil, basically. And... You-Know-Who is getting weaker, closer to dying that he has ever been before, and the power he has over Bellatrix is beginning to fade. During some moments she is a different person..." She looked around the table. "She let me go tonight."

"So you are saying that Bellatrix Lestrange's devotion to You-Know-Who has got everything to do with her father selling her soul to him?" George asked and Hermione nodded. "Who told you this fairytale?"

"Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix's sister" Hermione answered and stared at the table. "I will spare you the details what happened between those walls as I am sure you can imagine that for yourself... But I ask you to trust me that the mission Harry, Ron and I were undertaking suddenly developed another dimension."

"What is this mission you talk about?" Mrs Weasley asked weakly. She had slipped into a free seat next to Hermione and she looked at her. Tears glistened in her dark brown eyes. There were dark rings around her eyes and she looked paler than Hermione remembered her. "I know it is something Dumbledore asked the three of you to do. And I respect that. But you came here tonight, alone, without knowing where Harry and Ron are. You have been kept prisoner at Malfoy Manor and you speak of You-Know-Who in a way no one else ever has. Apart from Dumbledore..."

Hermione hesitated. Harry had been adamant they couldn't tell anyone about their search for the Horcruxes and what they were. But he and Ron were out there somewhere and if she had any way of finding them, she had to perhaps reveal their secret.

"Our mission is to find and destroy all of You-Know-Who's Horcruxes" Hermione suddenly said, resulting in a deafening silence and confused looks.

"Hor-what?" George arched an eyebrow. There was still a gaping hole in the side of his head but the wound had healed nicely around the edges and looked far less terrifying than the night it had first happened.

"Horcruxes" Hermione answered. "They are items in which a person can conceal a part of their soul. And as the soul is split and kept in various objects, it means the person to whom the pieces of the soul belong can never die. It basically created immortality. The only way for a person to die is if all the Horcruxes are destroyed"

"Split a soul?" Ginny pulled a face that resembled that of her mother in so many ways. She looked disgusted but intrigued at the same time. "How do you split your soul?"

"Murder" Hermione answered and from the meaningful looks around the table she understood that it seemed an almost obvious answer when it came to Voldemort. "You split your soul. It is a crime against nature and the process is both painful and dangerous. Dumbledore suspects You-Know-Who split is soul in seven different pieces, concealing them in seven different objects. And all seven need to be destroyed. If all Horcruxes are discovered and destroyed..."

"One destroys You-Know-Who" Mrs Weasley finished and she looked at Hermione. "How many have you..."

"Three" Hermione answered weakly. Suddenly she realised how tired she was. She had barely slept during her time at Malfoy Manor and her body was weakened from the abuse and the lack of food. She felt a little bit faint and placed her hands on the table. "Which means there are another four out there. I have no idea whether Harry and Ron have managed to find the fourth one yet, though I think I know where it might be. And this also brings me to the power You-Know-Who has over Bellatrix. She had been placed under a spell from the day she was born. When You-Know-Who was first destroyed, he wasn't dead. It was why the spell never lifted. He was left without a body and all his Horcruxes were still intact. And even if it did shift the spell, in a place like Azkaban, Bellatrix will barely have noticed..."

"And now that three out of seven Horcruxes have been destroyed, killing pieces of You-Know-Who's soul, his power over Bellatrix is beginning to fade and her true personality, which was kept under the surface for all these years, is slowly freed. Like looking through a glass ceiling into a world you cannot see, cannot touch..." Mr Weasley finished Hermione's story and the young brunette nodded.

"There is a chance that, with the destruction of all the Horcruxes and You-Know-Who's eventual death, Bellatrix Lestrange will be freed from the spell placed upon her. We cannot be sure but she might very well be nothing like the monster many have grown to hate..." Hermione said softly and remembered Bellatrix's fingers caressing her face, her arms, her body. She remembered the taste of her lips. "And everything might change..."

"Where are Harry and Ron?" Mrs Weasley asked nervously and Hermione stared down at her hands in her lap.

"I don't know. Neither of them came to look for me when I left Shell Cottage and part of me is glad they didn't. But I have no idea where they are and it has now become even more important to destroy those Horcruxes. I had hoped that perhaps Bill and Fleur had said anything about where they might have gone..."

"They were with that goblin, Griphook, I think" Mr Weasley said tentatively. "But nothing good ever comes from goblins, Hermione"

"He lied for us back at the Manor" Hermione said automatically, remembering how Griphook had lied to Bellatrix about the Gryffindor sword. "But perhaps you are right. Nothing good ever comes from goblins..."

She stifled a yawn and reached for her tea. Mrs Weasley's fingers closed around her wrist and she turned to look at the woman who had become a replacement for her own mother. A look of understanding was shared between them.

"You need rest, dear" Mrs Weasley said and urged Hermione to stand up. "We removed the ghoul from Ron's room once we learned he had been at Bill and Fleur's. You can sleep there if you like. And we'll talk in the morning..." Her eyes met those of her husband. "It would be wise to speak to Remus and Kingsley, Arthur..."

"We can't tell them about the Horcruxes!" Hermione quickly said and everybody looked at her in surprise. "I wasn't even supposed to have told you guys! I am sure You-Know-Who knows what we are doing. I don't doubt he feels it whenever another piece of his soul is destroyed..."

Mrs Weasley nodded and gently pushed her towards the door. "We will talk in the morning, Hermione. For now, you need to sleep..."

And so Hermione climbed the stairs leading up to Ron's bedroom and hesitated outside his door. When she eventually opened it, she was greeted by the usual mess though the room smelled as if it had recently been aired. The room was small and located just underneath the attic, where she suspected the ghoul had been moved back to. The pictures of the Chudley Cannons were all still in place. The clothes that normally littered the floor, together with unidentified socks, were all gone. School books lay in a corner, together with a half open Gryffindor trunk. The bed was made up with the orange bed spread Ron loved so much and Hermione sadly smiled to herself as she sat down.

Eventually she lay down, her head on the comfortable pillow. It felt strange, lying in Ron's bed. The sheets smelled clean and fresh and Hermione lay still, staring into the darkness. And she thought about Bellatrix. The Horcruxes would destroy Voldemort but most of all, they would free Bellatrix. And everything would be different. Her lips curled up when she remembered how the raven haired woman had gently caressed her skin and had kissed her lips. A single tear slipped down her cheek and dripped into the pillow and she wishes that, if the spell would be broken, perhaps there was a chance. Because underneath the damaged shell, lingered a soul that had been trapped for all these years. A masquerade of emotions, of devotion. A world of everlasting madness. Bellatrix's life had been a lie.

It took awhile for Hermione to fall asleep but when she eventually drifted off into a world of darkness and without dreams, her body relaxed for the first time in weeks.

Tomorrow she would have to face Remus and Kingsley and they would have to talk about what lay ahead. She had to find Harry and Ron. They had to destroy the Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort. But most of all they had to destroy them so she could free Bellatrix.


	8. Chapter 8

~()~

_You never really leave a place or person you love,  
part of them you take with you,  
__leaving__ a part of yourself behind.__  
~Unknown~_

~()~

**Chapter 7**

When she woke the morning sun was streaming through the window. It was weak, but still it felt warm and tender against her skin. She sat up and stretched. Her body felt relaxed and without the usual aches and pains brought on by cold and lack of sleep, she felt well rested. Her eyes drifted across Ron's bedroom and came to a rest on a small, wooden photo frame on the cupboard under the window. Hermione's curiosity got the better of her and she slipped out of bed. The wooden floor boards felt cold against her bare feet as she crossed the room. She picked up the frame and a smile spread across her face when she recognised Ron and Harry, standing on either side of her. They were all laughing, their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. It had been taken only last year and she could remember the moment vividly. It had been Christmas last year and they had found a rare moment to smile. And Ron had cherished it.

Her stomach rumbled when her nose picked up the lovely smells rising up from the kitchen downstairs and Hermione put the picture back down. She left the bedroom, walked across the narrow landing and into the bathroom. She stripped from her clothes and stepped into the shower. There were several small bathrooms around The Burrow and this one she had not used before. She had used the one on Ginny's floor. When the warm water began to flow down her body, her eyes fluttered shut and she just enjoyed the comforting warmth.

She stood like this for awhile before opening her eyes. She looked down her arms, her legs and her stomach. She was covered in bruises, cuts and scratches. Bellatrix had healed her face when she set her free but her body still reflected the torment she had endured. Hermione's hands trailed down the swells of her breasts, down to her stomach and she shivered as she remembered how both Bellatrix and Narcissa had touched her. Tears mixed with the water pouring from the shower and her body trembled as she sobbed.

She felt lonely and torn and had no idea what she was going to tell all the people waiting for her downstairs. When she stepped out of the shower, wrapped up in a fluffy dark blue towel, she brushed the steam off the mirror and met her own reflection. And for the first time she truly looked at herself. Tears still reflected in her eyes and just below her collar bone she could see the clear bite mark left behind by Bellatrix's teeth. She brushed against it with her fingers and now she slowly smiled. The emotions inside of her were confusing. She felt as if she was being torn apart between hatred and devotion and she was not sure at whom either emotion was aimed.

She got dressed in a pair of jeans, black leather boots and a thick jumper and brushed her hair. It was still slightly damp when she made her way down the creaking wooden stairs and walked into the kitchen. Her nose had not fooled her; Mrs Weasley had made an effort with breakfast and a full plate of sausage, bacon, eggs and toast was waiting for her. Right next to it stood a steaming mug of tea.

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Mrs Weasley. You really shouldn't have..."

"You look like you could do with a good meal. You look as bad as Harry did after a summer with those Muggles" Mrs Weasley smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Arthur is in the living room with Remus and Kingsley. The others are outside. They'll be about soon"

Hermione sat down at the table and pushed her food around on her plate. Now that she was faced with it, she didn't feel hungry at all and she forced a forkful of eggs down her throat and washed it away with tea. Behind her, the front door opened and a gust of cold wind filled the kitchen, followed by Fred, George and Ginny. They were talking excitedly but almost instantly toned it down when they found Hermione at the table. And for just a split second, she felt like Harry had done for all those years and she quickly looked back at her plate.

The voices from the living room became louder and she looked in the direction of the door to find Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt, closely followed by Mr Weasley. She pushed her chair backwards, glad to have a reason not to eat, and approached her former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Hermione" Remus said when he locked her in a kind, warm embrace. He looked more tired and shabby than ever before and she suspected that his job for the Auror as well as him being a werewolf were taking a toll on him. His hair was riddled with grey and a fresh scar sat across his cheek. His eyes were blood shot and had dark rings around them. But his smile was still as genuine as ever. "It is so good to see you again"

"Thank you, Remus" she whispered and swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat away. She turned to look at Kingsley, who had extended his hand. She shook it and she met his eyes, which were almost as deep and intense as his voice.

"Glad to see you're in one piece" Kingsley said and Hermione nodded. She could see him exchange a look with Remus. "Arthur here tells us you have been through quite the ordeal"

Hermione's heart hammered in her chest and she wondered how much Mr Weasley had told them. She regretted telling anybody about the Horcruxes or the fact she had returned to Malfoy Manor voluntarily. It sounded stupid, it sounded ridiculous but most of all, it had stopped her from being able to lie to Harry and Ron – if she ever found them- about what had happened. With Harry's temper and Ron's inability to see logic, she doubted they would ever understand why she had gone back.

Ginny, Fred and George had sat down at the table and more mugs of tea had appeared. Mrs Weasley had one long look at Hermione's plate and realised she wasn't going to eat anymore and replaced it by several trays of biscuits. Mr Weasley, Remus and Kingsley all sat down as well and Hermione was left with no other option but to follow. She was careful not to meet anyone's gaze and stared at her hands.

"What happened?" Remus wanted to know and Hermione sighed. She had to choose her words carefully if she didn't want to reveal her secrets and she had to make sure no one else around the table would. She regretted ever sharing the truth.

"Harry, Ron and I are on a mission for Dumbledore" Hermione said slowly and Remus nodded. It had been him who had pushed Harry towards them on the night of the wedding. "But, in the process we got caught by some Snatchers and were taken to Malfoy Manor. We had the sword of Gryffindor and Bellatrix went hysterical. She locked Harry and Ron up and she interrogated me, demanding to know how we had gotten into her vault at Gringotts. When we escaped, with help from Dobby, we ended up in Shell Cottage..."

Remus nodded slowly and his kind eyes now rested on the young brunette. "I saw Harry and Ron there, Hermione. They said... they said you were gone"

"You... you say them?" she breathed and stared at the man sitting across the table. "When?"

"The morning after you had left. They seemed lost, unsure how to proceed. We... we didn't speak long, Hermione. And they refused to tell me what had happened and where you guys had been. All I know is that Harry eventually said that perhaps they had to move on without you, as they couldn't wait forever..." Remus answered, his eyes never leaving Hermione's. "They showed me your letter..."

Hermione shook her head. "She made me write it..."

Ginny opened her mouth but Hermione shot her a dark look and she instantly fell silent. Around the table, the Weasley's moved awkwardly and she noticed how Mrs Weasley looked at her husband but he refused to acknowledge her look. Hermione suspected he hadn't told Remus and Kingsley anything and she was free to share whatever she wanted – he wasn't going to contradict her.

"Who?" Kingsley inquired.

"Bellatrix" Hermione answered stiffly and stared at her hands. As the name rolled from her lips, her stomach twisted and tightened. She felt sick and she brushed against the inside of her arm. Suddenly she became so much more aware of the cuts in her skin, the bruises and the marks. She swallowed. "I didn't leave Shell Cottage voluntarily..."

No one else spoke and Hermione hoped the Weasley's understood she had to tell a different story this time. She didn't dare meet anybody else's gaze but Remus' and Kingsley's. "Bellatrix took me..."

"She didn't believe what you had told her before? How did she know where you were?" Kingsley asked and Hermione shook her head.

"I don't know. Merlin knows what spell she put on me when she was sitting on top of me. But she came in the night, silent like a shadow. No one ever knew she was even there. She took me back to the Manor and demanded the truth... And then... she changed..." Hermione touched the subject lightly. "Like she had been placed under a spell and it had suddenly been lifted... And when she realised her own weakness, she went mental. It was her sister, Malfoy's wife, who told me about her..."

"Told you what?" Remus whispered.

Hermione realised he knew the third Black sister, Tonk's mother. And he had known Sirius, Bellatrix's cousin. And throughout his life he had dealt with both Bellatrix and Narcissa. Apart from Hermione herself, he perhaps knew the two witches best.

"When Bellatrix was born, her father sold her soul to You-Know-Who as a payment. He had tried to defy him so You-Know-Who claimed his first born child. I am not sure what spell Bellatrix had been placed under, but it means her soul belongs to You-Know-Who. She was born to be his follower because she never knew different. But You-Know-Who has been weakened and it shows in the strength of the spell... Bellatrix's own personality is fighting to free itself" Hermione answered and her eyes pierced into Remus. "If you want to know how much she's changed... she is also the one who let me go. She allowed me to walk out of the Manor and come back here..."

There was a silence and now Hermione looked around the table. Fred and George were both staring into their tea and Mrs Weasley had left for the kitchen. But Ginny was staring at her with the same dark glare her mother had whenever she was angry. Hermione didn't back down and eventually Ginny looked away. Mr Weasley just briefly met her eyes and she knew he understood.

"How do you break the spell completely, giving the real Bellatrix a chance to be her own person?" Kingsley inquired. She could see the curiosity in his eyes and she wondered if his Auror trained brain was trying to see a use for having Bellatrix on their side, instead of in Azkaban.

"By destroying..." Ginny began but Hermione cut her off.

"By destroying You-Know-Who" she answered, shooting a warning look at Ginny. "Only then can she be free."

There was a silence and Ginny excused herself. Hermione could hear her run up the stairs and she suspected she was waiting for her in Ron's room as soon as she came upstairs. She sighed and looked at Remus. "Where are Harry and Ron?"

He shook his head. "I haven't got a clue, Hermione. I don't think they will have stayed at Shell Cottage long. Harry said he knew hwere he was going but that it was going to take a lot of time and effort to achieve it without you..."

"Did they say anything about me leaving?" Hermione whispered, staring down at her hands.

"Ron seemed upset about you leaving" Remus answered and the corner of Hermione's mouth twitched. "And Harry... Harry was angry"

"Well, at least that's nothing new. Harry's always angry" Hermione answered sadly. "I just... I just wondered whether they thought I had left of my own accord. Because if they did, they will not expect me to join them again. They might have made it harder for me to find them. Wherever they are..."

They sat at the table for another fifteen, twenty minutes and talked about the Order. Hermione used this time to learn more about what had been going on since they left and also learned of the birth of little Teddy. It was the only thing that had brought a genuine smile to her face but her gaze drifted off to one of the windows as the seconds began to tick away. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and she felt the urge to run away, to just fade into the night and start a search of her own. How was she ever going to find her friends? How was she ever going to free Bellatrix?

She eventually excused herself and climbed the stairs to Ron's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and she found Ginny sitting on her brother's bed, looking cross.

"You lied!" she shrieked as soon as Hermione entered. "You lied to them!""

"Hush!" Hermione urged and cast a quick 'Muffliato' at the door before turning to Ginny. Her hazel eyes had darkened and she stood straight and tall. "Do you really want everyone else to hear you?"

"Why did you lie to them?" Ginny demanded to know. Her eyes were blazing.

"Because I had no other choice! Ginny, I was never supposed to tell you about those bloody Horcruxes. There was a reason Harry didn't want anyone else to know. And after I told you guys last night, I realised I never should have! The less people that know about those damn things, the better!" Hermione answered and began pacing across the room. "And because if I told them what I told you, they perhaps wouldn't let me go back to Harry and Ron. And I need to go back, Ginny!"

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because regardless of what Harry and Ron have been doing since I left, they will never have succeeded destroying another. And because I now know the bloody answers to everything!" Hermione said desperatly and rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. The cuts still sat red and raw against her flesh ad Ginny stumbled backwards as she was faced with the writing on her friends arm. "I will spare you the details of everything else she did to me... but believe me when I say she too deserved a chance!"

"What _did _she do to you?" Ginny asked, taking a step in Hermione's direction. "You have been quiet. You look out of the window every so often. And it is not the way you used to look whenever you discussed your adventures with Harry and Ron. This is different..." She paused. "You are _thinking_ of her, aren't you?"

"Ginny..." Hermione began but Ginny didn't let herself be interrupted.

"How much did she get to you?" she wanted to know, her eyes piercing into Hermione's. "So much that you do not know where your loyalties lie? You DID go back out of your own free will, Hermione. You can lie to Lupin and Kingsley all you like, but you told us you went back out of your own free will!"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears when the images of Bellatrix's eyes, her hands and her lips flooded back into her mind, followed by the haunting voice of Narcissa and her fingers slipping behind her knickers. She could feel the cold in her bones again and the pain in her face, her head and her body reminded her of the torment she had endured. She shook her head in desperation and looked at Ginny.

"Never ask me that again!" she breathed and stared at her friend. "And you can never tell Harry and Ron I went back out of my own free will. Harry will never understand!"

Ginny looked puzzled. "Never? But when things are over..."

"Things will never be over, Gin" Hermione answered softly and looked at her friend. If anything, they had only just begun and she had no idea when, if ever, there was going to be an end. "Promise me, Ginny!"

"But..."

"PROMISE ME!" Tears sounded through her voice.

Ginny nodded, suddenly startled by Hermione's outburst. "I promise..."

Hermione nodded and then turned away from her. She stared out of Ron's bedroom window. All she could see were the fields of corn and she sighed heavily. "Ok. None of you can ever tell them. Can you tell your mom I have a headache and won't be down for lunch or tea? I just want to sleep"

Ginny hesitated but when Hermione glanced over her shoulder and shot her a dark look, she hurried and left the room. Hermione listened until her footsteps no longer echoed of the wooden steps and she then hurried across the room. She didn't' have any spare clothing and she took some of Ron's old jumpers and jeans from his wardrobe and began to transfigure them into girls' clothes. Soon there was a neat pile of jeans and jumpers lying on the bed. From the bottom of the wardrobe she took one of Ron's old rucksacks and she stuffed all the clothes in. She used an undetectable extension charm on it, like she had done with her purple beaded handbag that she had lost and then placed it by the door. Her eyes searched the room, looking for anything else that would come in handy. She remembered Ron's annoying habit of keeping his sweets and other stuff in a box under his bed and she knelt down. The floor was covered in dust and she just used her wand.

"Accio sweets" she whispered and a box came whizzing out from the darkness under the bed. She took the lid off and smiled to herself. Typical Ron. Bertie Bots every flavoured beans in their original packaging, Chocolate Frogs, several pumpkin pasties and other sweets. She stashed the sweets in the bag as well and after having satisfied herself there wasn't much else she could take with her, Hermione lay down on Ron's bed, with her arms folded under her head, and attempted to get some sleep. She had no idea when the next undisturbed sleep would be.

~()~

She had heard Ginny's footsteps right outside the door but she never came in. Hermione listened to the noises of the house. Fred and George had gone to bed an hour ago. Ginny was listening to music in her room and Mrs Weasley had come to check on her just before she and her husband went to sleep but Hermione had pretended to be sleeping. She had fooled the Weasley matriarch because she closed the door softly and retired to bed. Now, apart from the music still coming from Ginny's bedroom, the house was quiet and Hermione slipped from under the covers, fully dressed. She summoned her coat, scarf and hat from downstairs and they came whizzing into the bedroom through the open door. She then closed and locked it before wrapping up against the cold night. The sun had been out this morning but now it was raining outside.

Hermione swung the bag over her shoulder, clutched her wand and called up an image not far from the Burrow. With a faint pop, she Disapparated and when she reopened her eyes, she took in a sharp breath of fresh air. It was a cold night and her breath formed clouds in the air. A smile spread across her face as she looked up to the sky. Thick, grey clouds had packed together. The change in the weather had brought with it the drizzling rain. The world went shrouded in thin layers of mist and little drops of rain fell softly down onto her coat. The wind came in gusts, pulling at her now damp ringlets. And Hermione began walking, not sure where it was she was going.


	9. Chapter 9

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_To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.__  
George MacDonald_

~()~

**Chapter 8**

She walked across the rolling hills until the sun rose in the morning, revealing the beauty of the world around her. The dew glistened on the grass. It had rained for most of the night, though her charms had kept her dry. The fields were separated by the green hedges and here and there stood a lonely tree. They were warriors of nature, strong and tall – never to be broken. She wasn't far from a little creek that was making its way lazily through the country side. She refilled her water bottle and washed her face. Her body had protested throughout the night, telling her it wanted to rest and sleep. But there was no time. She had to keep continue her journey. There was nowhere to shelter in the day time and she was an easy prey to find for Death Eaters if she had nowhere to hide. In the distance the first birds began to sing their morning songs and Hermione stood and watched the scenery around her. If Harry and Ron had moved by foot, they would most likely still be in Wales somewhere and she closed her eyes, calling up the image of Shell Cottage in her head.

She smelled the salty sea air before she even opened her eyes and heard the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. When she turned around, she discovered Shell Cottage right at the shore line. And to her horror she recognised the slender figure of Fleur Delacour walking in her direction. Hermione hurried towards the dunes and made it to safety before the French witch saw her. Hermione walked away from the cottage that had provided her with her first night of safety after the events of Malfoy Manor and walked through the surrounding wounds until she reached a field. It was empty but by the next row trees stood a small shed, or unused stables. She threw her bag over the fence before climbing over it herself. She landed softly in the grass and made her way across the green field towards the shed. The door was padlocked but she drew her wand and it sprung open.

It smelled of stale urine, dirty wet wool and rotting wood but the hay and straw that covered the ground were clean and dry. Hermione dropped her bag before sitting down in the soft material that surrounded her. This had perhaps once been a shelter for sheep but it was deserted now. She had left the door open and peered up to the sky. The brightness was quickly replaced by grey clouds and it didn't take long before heavy drops of rain began drumming down on the roof of the shed. She rested her head against the wall and pulled up her legs.

Her journey took her across fields, over hills, villages and small towns she never even knew existed. She looked in shop windows and dug newspapers out of bins. She walked over old cemeteries and hoped she would find something, anything that would connect her back to her journey and her friends. She travelled throughout the night and the darkness became her friend, her sole companion. She slept in empty stables, barns and in pubs whenever she crossed a village. The landlords were always friendly and no one ever asked questions. They were often kind enough to feed her a hot meal and Hermione wondered if they thought she was a runaway. She blended in easily with the Muggles around her. Everybody seemed nervous and on edge and she did her best to stay up to date with the news. The Muggle papers reported every death, every missing person's case and she quickly learned that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were just attacking at random. Fear reflected in the eyes of every person she crossed on her path.

But she also could tell the witches and the wizards apart from everybody else. Those were the people with one hand in their pocket, closed around their wands, much like her own. Those were the people never to travel alone. And she could see it in their eyes. The same fear, but also the determination that they would not be conquered like they had been before. And it was that determination that made her leave her new found shelter every night, to continue her search for Harry and Ron. The weather changed quickly, every day. Rain and sunshine seemed to fight over ultimate power. The only thing that was constant was the thick, grey mist that now covered most of the world. She had been wrong about her assumptions they would still be in Wales because she couldn't find a single trace of them. All that was left was to revisit some of their previous locations and she could only hope that one of them would have left behind a clue. But as the days began to pass and her journey had lasted for over a week without a single sign of them, she began to think she would never find them at all.

It was a cold and chilly morning when she Apparated between some trees. She clutched her bag and swung it over her shoulder. In the distance she could hear the familiar sound of the river and she began walking towards it, knowing that it would supply any traveller with fresh water. As she walked between the trees, their branches still bare and with the leaves covering the grounds, she remembered how she had been here with Harry. It had been the first thing that popped into her head after what had happened in Godric's Hollow. The Forest of Dean brought good and beautiful memories back to her.

When she reached the river, Hermione sat down in the embankment and stared at the water, at her own reflection. She remembered how she had touched Bellatrix, how she had felt under her touch and under her lips. How her hair had smelled and how those raven ringlets had tickled her skin. She could still feel her warmth breath against her skin and the endless depths of her dark eyes. And it were those dark eyes that haunted her still. She could see what lay trapped inside them. What lingered underneath; A soul so desperate for freedom.

Tears began to trickle down her cheeks and she softly cried. She had resisted the urge to go back to Malfoy Manor. She wanted to see Bellatrix again; like she needed a reminder what she was doing all of this for. Why she was searching for something that could free her. Why she had risked everything for someone she barely knew and didn't trust; a witch, a Death Eater. A woman.

Hermione had no idea how long she had been sitting like this but her head whipped up when she heard the soft sound of twigs snapping underneath boots. Her eyes darted across the empty field around her. There was a line of trees to her right and her eyes fixed on there. And as she stared, she discovered a figure appearing from behind the trees, carrying two large bottles. The figure was dressed in blue jeans, a grey jumper and black hoodie and had messy, dark brown hair. Her heart leapt up in her chest and Hermione stumbled onto her feet.

"Harry?" she called and her voice echoed along the empty field, all the way to the trees. "HARRY!"

The figure froze and Hermione could see him looking around to find the voice that had called for him. And when he saw her, he dropped the bottles and began running across the field until he reached her. His arms were strong around her and he pulled her off her feet, swinging her into the air. He squeezed her so hard that all the air was forced out of her lungs. She pressed her face against his shoulder and the tears just kept coming. Her heart was pounding in her throat.

"Hermione!" Harry whispered into her bushy hair before finally putting her down. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and looked at her. "I... I can't believe you found us... How... Where..."

Hermione looked around. It was still light, though darkness would fall soon, and she didn't want anyone to see them. She suspected Harry and Ron had protective enchantments around wherever they were staying but they were out in the open here. "Not here. Let's fill the water bottles and go back to Ron"

She and Harry quickly filled the water bottles and began walking their way back through the forest. They didn't speak much as they walked but Hermione noticed how Harry shot her curious glances and she wondered if he could tell something had changed.

After about a twenty minute walk, leading them deeper into the forest than she ever remembered going, Hermione found a black tent standing between several trees. It wasn't the same one they had stayed in before. It was larger and she wondered if Bill had given it to them when they left Shell Cottage. There was a small fire burning in front of the tent, complete with what looked like a kettle and a cooking pot. Several empty cans of beans littered the floor.

"Ron nicked it off Bill when we left" Harry answered her question and Hermione smiled. She should have known her friends hadn't simply borrowed the tent. "Since they live in a nice house, we didn't think they needed it. And we did so..."

"So you stole it..." Hermione arched an eyebrow and pointed at the empty cans. "And you nicked their food too?"

"Harry? Is that you?" Ron's voice came from inside the tent. The zip moved and an arm came out, followed by the rest of Ron. He immediately lowered his wand when he discovered his friend but his eyes widened when he realised who was walking behind Harry.

Hermione sheepishly smiled and thought this situation awfully resembled the moment Ron returned to Harry and her the night he found the sword and destroyed the locket. "Hey"

Ron stared at her before looking at Harry. He seemed hesitant to greet her. "Where did you find her?"

"At the side of the river" Harry answered and began to walk towards the tent. "Come on, there's loads to tell each other!"

Ron watched Hermione as she followed Harry into the tent. When she filed past him, their eyes met and she smiled. When he didn't answer her smile, she turned back to look at Harry in front and sighed. She hadn't expected him to be happy, but she had definitely not expected him to be this awkward either.

Like any other magical tent, this one was loads bigger on the inside too. It had a tiny kitchenette and three separate sleeping quarters. One bed was neatly made but untouched. The other two were a mess and the quarters were littered with clothes, news papers and shoes. She turned to look at Harry, who shrugged and then smiled. He seemed genuinely happy to see her. But then the look in his eyes changed and he gestured towards the table in the middle of the room. They sat down. Ron entered the tent and hovered by the door, unsure whether he wanted to join them.

"What happened?" Harry asked carefully and Hermione picked at her jumper before meeting his eyes.

"She came in the night. Like a shadow..." she whispered, her voice shaking. She called up the image of Bellatrix as she had kissed her in front of the fire place. "I don't know how she got in, Harry. But she did. She was there, in my room. Standing over me, like a ghost. And she took me outside. She... she made me write that letter and said that if I didn't go with her, she would sent the others to kill everybody else inside the house..." She turned to look at Ron. "If I didn't go with her, she would have killed your brother..."

"What did she want?" Harry wanted to know.

"Information" Hermione weakly answered and rubbed the inside of her arm. Harry's gaze dropped to her arm and she knew he realised it was Bellatrix's cut that hurt her. "She wanted to know what else we had taken from her vault in Gringotts. And she..." She swallowed as the dark, twisted images of what happened at Malfoy Manor began to invade her mind. "She tortured me...Again."

Hermione slowly stood up and rolled up her sleeves, revealing the bruises and cuts and scratches on her arms before exposing her stomach and her back and showing more bruises. She could hear Ron gasp and turned to look at him. His eyes had widened and he stared at her in horror and shock. He didn't need any more persuasion and he walked towards her, planting a kiss on her hair, before offering to make tea.

"How did you escape?" Harry asked carefully and watched how Hermione sat back down after having covered up her bruises. She was rocking backwards and forwards in her seat. In her mind she was already miles ahead of Harry and Ron.

"She let me go" Hermione softly answered and looked up to meet Harry's eyes. "There is something wrong with her, Harry. It's something Narcissa Malfoy told me after Bellatrix... went too far. And she told me that her father sold her soul to You-Know-Who. She has been placed under a spell but because You-Know-Who is getting weaker, the spell is starting to fall apart and the real Bellatrix comes out every so often"

"She is still a murderous raving lunatic, no matter what spell she is under" Harry said harshly and Hermione had prepared herself for that answer. She didn't have the energy to argue with her friend and instead, she leant back in her seat and thanked Ron when he brought her a steaming mug of tea. He sat down beside Harry and looked at her.

"Why did she let you go?" he curiously asked.

Hermione shrugged. She knew she couldn't tell them the truth. And if she wanted to help Bellatrix, she needed her friends. And if it meant lying, then lying was what she would do. "I... I don't know. Must be that spell she is under. I went back to The Burrow when she let me go. Saw your parents and family, Ron. Everyone is doing great. I stayed the night"

Ron seemed relieved to hear his family were doing fine and he nodded. "We saw Remus the day after you went missing. It was him who suggested we had to focus on the task at hand. Whether he believed you left out of your own free will, who knows. Maybe he thought you had done what I did..."

Hermione seriously didn't care whether Remus thought she had abandoned her friends. Her heart was hammering against her chest and her eyes had searched the tent several times but nothing looked like a Horcrux. A sense of disappointment fell over her, laced with the excitement over the thought that perhaps she did know where the next one could be. "Did you find another Horcrux?"

Harry shared a look with Ron. "We broke into Gringotts"

"You did _what_?" Hermione exclaimed but her heart settled down in her chest. Her friends had realised the same thing she did.

And from the bag under the table Harry took a cup. Hermione gasped. The cup was made out of gold, with two finely-wrought handles. There was a badger engraved into it and it was decorated with some jewels.

"But that's Hufflepuff's cup!" Hermione recognised the item Harry was holding. He had it wrapped in a piece of cloth. She stared at Harry who now carefully wrapped the cup back in the cloth and put it back in the bag under the table. Hermione's eyes now fixed on Ron. "Rumours say that it holds many magical powers though no one seems to know exactly what those powers are!"

"Clearly not interested in how we got in then, mate" Ron snickered and Harry shrugged.

"I suppose it doesn't matter that Ron here had to become Bellatrix Lestrange and break into her vault. For a while he was afraid he would be an ugly Death Eater for the rest of his life. And that ruddy goblin sold us out and all. Not sure if he ever made it out of that vault but frankly, I don't care But, we got the cup and we took the burns and the blisters for granted. Though we have no idea how to destroy it b$ecause nothing touches it, like with the locket. We lost the sword of Gryffindor too!"

Hermione shook her head. "You guys are amazing"

Ron smirked. "Ever the tone of surprise..."

"So, where do we go from here?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron's little tease. She looked at Harry. "This is number four, which leaves another three. Have you got any idea?"

"It's hidden at Hogwarts" Harry whispered and looked at Ron. It was obvious from the tension that this was a subject they had discussed before and it seemed they disagreed on their options. Ron wisely didn't speak but merely looked at Hermione. "It belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and though I don't quite know for sure... I think it is the Lost Diadem"

"THE Lost Diadem?" Hermione asked and Harry nodded. Her hazel eyes lit up and the pieces began to fit together. They had destroyed three Horcruxes and held the fourth. Harry knew the location of the fifth one. This only left two to find. She was so close to freeing the tormented, damaged soul of Bellatrix. She smiled to herself and nodded as the pieces began to fall into place. "The one that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and was stolen by her daughter Helena after which it was presumed lost?"

"And this is where Ron and I differ in opinions..." Harry said slowly and looked at his best friend. "I am well aware Hogwarts is riddled with Death Eaters but it is also riddled with Order and DA members... And if I want that Horcrux, we will have to go..."

"Then why aren't we?" Hermione asked, having forgotten about her own hesitation when Harry had begged her to go to Godric's Hollow. She looked at Ron.

"Too dangerous..." he whispered and Hermione openly laughed. She didn't even realise how much he laugh sounded like Bellatrix's cackle until Harry shot her a worried look and she fell silent.

"You say it's too dangerous after this whole bloody journey and after having broken into Gringotts for Merlin's sake?" Hermione said sarcastically and Ron's face turned a deep shade of scarlet. "Somehow it feels like Hogwarts is going to be a piece of cake." She had seamlessly slipped back into the leaders' position of the tree and she nodded slowly. "Tomorrow morning we will travel to Scotland and hopefully, by nightfall, we should be inside the castle's walls. What happens from there on, no one knows. But if we find the Horcrux... we are one step closer to destroying You-Know-Who."

_And freeing Bellatrix._

They talked for another hour or so, though no one dared mentioning the events of Malfoy Manor. They went through tactics to get inside the castle and Hermione eventually suggested they had to try and sneak into the castle via the Shrieking Shack. It was their only way in and it would probably also be their only way out. When Ron and Harry eventually said they were going to bed, she offered to take first watch and took her wand from the table and went outside. The fire was still burning and created comfortable warmth. She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and her knees and rested her back against one of the trees. She had taken a book she found in the tent.

It was a chilly night, like most of the others she had travelled through in the last week. But now that she was alone, with the information safely stored in her brain, she felt more at ease than she had done in the last few days. She was so close to destroying Voldemort. So close to bring down whatever enchantment he had placed on Bellatrix and she could finally see the real soul that lingered underneath.

"Hermione?"

It sounded like a whisper in the wind but Hermione sat up. She had heard the voice and her eyes scanned the darkness. Who had managed to find them? The enchantment put up by Ron and Harry was as good as her own. She slowly stood up. The leaves rustles as she began to walk towards the sound, her eyes still searching the darkness.

"I can hear you..."

Hermione froze. She was instantly reminded of the moment the Snatchers had been able to smell her perfume but she wasn't wearing any. She had stopped using it after that night. She held her breath, wondering if her breathing was drawing the voice towards her. She still couldn't see where the voice had come from. It had been so familiar. Like a memory, talking from the depths of her mind.

"Where are you?" Hermione whispered softly, her voice not breaking through the enchantments around her. And she knew it. She knew that whoever was calling for her, couldn't hear her. She took a few more steps and a twig snapped under her boot. "_Bella_?"

More leaves rustles and Hermione spun around. To her right, a shadow appeared from behind a large oak tree. Their hood fell back as they walked towards the outer enchantments and Hermione recognised the raven curls instantly. Her heart began racing in her chest when Bellatrix stepped into the silver moonlight. Her pale skin seemed to glow and her dark eyes were fixed on a spot to Hermione's right. She had clearly heard the younger witch or sensed she was there.

"I am alone. No one else is here..." spoke Bellatrix, her eyes never moving from the spot to Hermione's right. "I need to speak to you, Granger!" A little smile played around her lips and her eyes were brighter than Hermione remembered them.

"Finite Incantatem" Hermione breathed and with a faint pop all the protective charms disappeared.

Bellatrix arched an eyebrow when she found Hermione standing two steps away from where she had been looking. Her grin spread and her dark eyes snapped up to meet Hermione's. "Not bad guessing, if I say so myself"

"How did you find me?" Hermione whispered as she rushed towards the dark haired witch. She held still right in front of her and looked up to her. She felt no fear towards her. Perhaps she should have done. Perhaps she should have been terrified but she wasn't. And she forgot about her friends asleep in the tent. Bellatrix looked calmer than she remembered her and she wondered how far her own soul had managed to free itself. "How did you find out I was here?"

"Your little friends broke into my vault" Bellatrix ignored Hermione's question and looked over the younger witch's shoulder to the tent. "They took something valuable. Something that means a great deal to the Dark Lord..." The words almost seemed to pain her and she glanced at Hermione. Different emotions flickered in her charcoal eyes and her fingers closed around Hermione's wrist. "You said I had to trust you..."

"You do..." Hermione whispered and couldn't fight the desire to taste the burgundy lips again. She closed the final few inches between her and Bellatrix and their lips crashed together in a hungry, desperate kiss. Bellatrix's arms closed around Hermione's waist and she pulled her closer. Raven curls tickled Hermione' skin and she wrapped her arms around Bellatrix's body, and her nails dug into the material of her dress. She immediately remembered the insanity when she had made love to her. How it felt, how she tasted. How it hurt, how it left her begging for more and how it left her broken and yet stronger.

"We are going to Hogwarts..." Hermione breathed when they finally parted. She rested her forehead against Bellatrix's and let her dark ringlets run through her fingers. "Our journey is almost complete..."

"He plans to attack..." Bellatrix breathed and flinched in pain. She backed away from Hermione and began to almost desperatly claw at her dress. Hermione watched how Bellatrix attempted to rip the fabric from her body. Shreds of velvet fell to the ground and a pained expression lingered on her face. Tears glistened in her eyes.

"Bella..." Hermione wanted to rush towards her but the dark haired witch roughly pushed her away. She landed on her back on the ground, the leaves entangling in her hair.

"Don't touch me!" growled Bellatrix and she revealed a glowing red skin. Blisters had appeared, like she had been burned. "Since I met you, Granger... everything has changed. And... it hurts..." She was still clawing at her skin, now drawing blood from under the porcelain surface. "And you... The pain..."

Hermione realised that it was Bellatrix's soul, the part that had been hexed all those years ago, protesting against the destruction of Voldemort. Her insides were fighting against her own soul trying to fight its way out and were punishing her with pain. It was her own soul, the part that had been trapped for all these years that had made her look for her tonight. And now she was being punished for it. The raven haired witch was now crying in frustration and agonizing pain that seemed to burn her from the inside out. Though she was technically not a Horcrux, she was reacting and feeling exactly the same was the fragments of Voldemort's soul that were destroyed. It was why she experienced both the best and the worst around Hermione. She brought both out in her.

She watched in torment as Bellatrix fought her inner demons and eventually resulted to drawing her wand and casting a curse at herself. Her body tumbled to the floor, heaving and panting and she crawled back onto her feet before her now black eyes focused on Hermione. Blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Trust...you..."

Her words echoed through the forest when she Disapparated in a cloud of black smoke, leaving Hermione lying on the ground.

And the young brunette cried. Having seen the pain Bellatrix endured, she no longer cared about the journey of her friends. She needed to free her. There was nothing else. There was just Bellatrix. The woman she had seen underneath the mask. The woman who had kissed her touched her... Even loved her.

And the woman she loved in return.

* * *

**Note:** It sort of still follows the Deathly Hallows plot line as described in both movie and books, with a few alterations. From here on, I am taking the whole thing slightly more freely. The original plot line will be followed but I am changing the whole thing to fit this story.

_Thanks for all the reviews so far._ Reviews are love.

_And again: _don't just favourite or alert without reviewing! **CRUCIO!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

When Harry came outside, looking sleepy but carrying a ham sandwich, Hermione had finished half the book she had found earlier. Her fingers felt slightly numb and she took the sandwich from her friend. Harry sat down beside her and warmed his hands at the fire, allowing Hermione a few more moments of peace and silence.

"What did she do to you?" Harry eventually carefully asked and Hermione could tell the question had been on his mind for most of this time. She took a bite from the sandwich and it was actually very tasty and she swallowed it down. It was better than nibbling on Chocolate Frogs and pumpkin pasties or whatever meal she was offered in pubs from time to time. She then glanced at Harry.

"I thought I'd done you a favour by not telling you the details" she answered sadly and shook her head. "It doesn't matter now, Harry. What matters is that we need to get to Hogwarts as soon as we can. Is there any way we can contact someone inside the school walls?"

"Unless you have telepathic abilities I am unaware off, I am afraid not" Harry sounded slightly defeated. "I haven't got a clue how we are going to get in. It's like a fortress of dark magic"

Hermione only now realised she had seen Ginny at The Burrow and wondered why she had not been at school. She scratched her head and stared into the fire. If only she had asked Ginny what things were like back at the castle. Or why she was even home in the first place. "I still think the Shrieking Shack is our best bet. I know Snape knows of its existence but I doubt that by now he expects anyone to sneak in or out"

"He missed you loads, you know" Harry said unexpectedly and Hermione looked up from her musings. He smiled. "Ron, I mean"

"Did he?" Hermione casually replied and shrugged. Ron had barely crossed her mind during her weeks away. Not even when she had slept in his bed. Not in the way he used to. Her mind was only occupied by Bellatrix and she cared very little for the ginger young man asleep inside. As for the green eyes boy sitting beside her, she was reminded of her promise to Bellatrix. "Frankly, I thought he was pretty fed up with me to be honest"

Harry chose not to answer and they both resulted to staring into the fire again. The comfort and ease with which they had communicated during the time Ron had been away seemed to have been replaced by an uneasy unfamiliarity. Hermione listened to the noises of the forest and eventually stood up. Harry still seemed deeply lost in his thoughts and she sighed. "I think I am going to get some sleep"

He nodded without answering and Hermione retreated inside the tent. She found Ron asleep on his bed, on his side, his face towards the right. She sighed as she heard him snore and quickly cast a Silencing charm around her own sleeping quarters. She didn't bother stripping from her clothes and slipped inside the warm, cosy sleeping bag. It wasn't as comfortable as the bed back at The Burrow but it was better than the hard beds in the pubs or the hard, cold floors of barns and sheds. She lay very still, with her hands under head and stared at the canvas roof of the tent. All she could think of was Bellatrix and all she wanted was to reach out for her. To find her and release her from the pain and the demonic torment that lived inside of her.

When she eventually drifted off to sleep, her dreams were filled with images of Hogwarts and the various Horcruxes and she trailed the corridors, haunted by charcoal eyes and endless whispers. But even in her dreams she managed to restrain herself and the name _Bellatrix _never once left her lips.

~()~

Morning brought drops of dew glistening on the leaves covering the forest ground. The sun was shining bleakly in the pale blue sky and when Hermione left the tent she could smell the rain that had fallen over night. She looked at Harry, who looked cold and miserable but did his best not to show it. He had made tea and had attempted to cook some eggs and bacon. She told him it was nice even though it tasted like she was chewing on yesterday's newspaper. Ron only groaned when he left the tent to join them and it took two cups of tea and two plates of food to get even the tiniest smile to appear on his face.

They spent the next half an hour packing up all of their items and erasing every trace of their stay. Hermione shot a few longing glances at the bag containing the Horcrux and was painfully reminded of the events of the previous night. When they had finally packed up the tent, double checked whether they had all their belongings and Hermione had erased all the protective enchantments, she had replaced them after seeing Bellatrix, they linked their hands and it was Harry who called up the image of the Shrieking Shack in his head. The world began to spin and strong wind pulled at their hair. Together, the three of them Disapparated and when Hermione opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the magnificent castle on top of the cliffs. And her heart both yearned and cried.

"I forgot..." Harry swore under his breath and gestured at the walls of the building. Whatever windows the shabby building had, were securely boarded up. "There is no real way in from the outside! You can only enter it from inside Hogwarts!"

Hermione shook her head. "And you call yourself a wizard, Harry?" She drew her wand and aimed it at the nearest window. "Where there's a will..." Ron nudged Harry in his ribs and grinned. Hermione didn't waste any time and cast her spell. "Bombarda!"

There was a loud blast and the boards were blown off the windows in a rain of splinters, revealing a gaping hole. Hermione shot a triumphant look at Harry and was the first one to climb through the window, followed by Harry and Ron. She then aimed her wand at the whole she had created and whispered "Reparo". The board restored itself, instantly erasing the sunlight that fell into the room. The trio looked around. The Shack hadn't changed much since the last time they were here, four years ago.

"Down the stairs..." Hermione directed. She felt strong and in control and crossed the room without really paying attention to weather Harry and Ron were following. She heard their footsteps behind her as she descended down the stairs and she almost ran along the passageway that would lead them into Hogwarts Grounds. As she approached the exit, she drew her wand and slowed down. She could hear Ron panting behind her and forced herself not to say a single word in irritation. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her hands were clam. She was very much aware of the Womping Willow and since it hadn't been stunned from the outside, she would have to do it from the inside.

"What do we do once we're in the grounds? We can't just wonder in... Snape will have us locked up somewhere!" Harry asked when he reached her. He stood right in front of her, his green eyes trying to catch her hazel brown. She turned to briefly meet his gaze.

Hermione shook her head. "Everybody should be in class. Most teachers will be preoccupied. If we can get past Peeves without him knowing we're in the castle, I reckon we have a pretty good chance of finding the Diadem. Do you know where it is?"

"The Room of Requirement" Harry immediately answered and then swung his back in front of Hermione's face. His eyes had lit up. "And I still have my cloak..."

Hermione nodded. "OK. We'll go in under the cloak, the three of us. Once we're inside, you and Ron can go to the Room of Requirement and..." She paused and suddenly she smiled. "I will head off to the Chamber of Secrets..." When Harry frowned she grinned. She couldn't see her own face but she looked a lot like Bellatrix. She even laughed the same way now. "You killed the Basilisk in there, Harry. Its skeleton will still be there... and so will the fangs. Basilisk venom, remember?"

Harry nodded and after he had taken his cloak out of his bag he thrust it into Hermione's heart. She felt her heart leap up in her chest. "The fangs should destroy the Cup! You had better take this then."

So the three of them huddled under the cloak, like they had been doing for the past seven years though it was now hardly big enough to cover the three of them. Hermione aimed her wand at the Womping Willow, muttering a soft "Immobulus!"

The tree froze instantly and they made their way out of the passage and onto the grounds. The castle now doomed up before them, looking as amazing and magnificent as ever. It was covered in silence, as most students were in class, as were the teachers. Hermione tried to direct Ron and Harry towards the main entrance but she kept tripping over Ron's feet and she groaned to herself in annoyance. There simply wasn't enough room for the three of them and in frustration she slipped from under the protective cover. When she heard Harry protest, she turned to look at him.

"Listen, it is you they want. What's the worst that could happen to me? They take me back to Malfoy Manor... Go to the Room of Requirement and find that ruddy Diadem. I will try and take the fang back with me. Maybe it can destroy that thing too!" Hermione hissed and she looked at the spot she knew Harry and Ron had to be. "You know how to get back to the Shack. We will meet there. If you are not back, or if I am not back, by dusk, Apparate back to the Forest of Dean and we will move from there..."

She didn't wait for their reply but ran across the grounds towards the main entrance. She flicked her wand and with a silent spell, the doors swung open, revealing the castle inside. Hermione hurried into the Entrance Hall and looked around. It was deserted. She began climbing the staircases, clutching Harry's bag tightly. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage by the time she reached the second floor and slowed down when she approached the girls' lavatory. In her head, she kept repeating the Parseltongue request for something to "open".

When she eventually opened the door to the lavatory, she couldn't quite believe her luck she had managed to come here without being seen. She suspected Snape was patrolling the corridors regularly, together with his new Death Eater staff members, looking for students who supported Harry. She made her way across the room, towards the snake engraved sink. Hermione took a few deep breaths before attempting to produce the same snake like, low hissing sounds she had heard Harry make in the past. The first three times nothing happened and frustration began to boil in her veins. She clutched the bag and tried one last time. Slowly, the sink began to open and revealed the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

Hermione tried to control the loud beating of her heart as she slowly began to descend into the room. It smelled vile and disgusting; like rotting flesh and sewage pipes. She clutched the bag tighter, drawing her wand from her sleeve as she went deeper and deeper into the passage. The floors were wet and she could hear water dripping from the pipes. She had heard Harry describe the place to her but somehow it compared in nothing to the actual experience of making her way down here. A loud thud startled her and she turned around, aiming her wand at the direction of the sound. There was no one else there. What other idiot would come down here?

_I am doing this for you, Bella_ she thought to herself and took another few steps. A cold drop of water fell into her neck and seeped behind her jumper, causing her squeal just for a moment. Her voice echoed off the walls and sounded an awful lot like her own whimpers she had heard echo in Malfoy Manor. _Because I know you can be freed. _

After what had felt like an eternity walking through the passage, she reached the large open space in front of her. It was brightly lit, in an almost greenish glow, which was odd considering she was well below grounds. She was even deeper down than the dungeons. She held her breath as her eyes scanned the room. Its walls were lines with statues of snakes and in the middle of the room stood a large statue of Salazar Slytherin.

Hermione shivered and her eyes drifted across the room, looking for the skeleton of the Basilisk. Harry had said it was here and its remaining fang was her only way of destroying the Cup. She was about to turn away in frustration when something caught her eye. Something glistened just underneath the surface of the water in front of the statue. Feeling empowered by the sudden realisation the skeleton was there, Hermione began to run towards it. Water splashed off the surface, drenching her shoes and part of her jeans. She dropped to her knees at the edge and looked down into the shallow pool. There, at the bottom, lay the perfectly preserved skeleton of the Basilisk. Never before had she realised its sheer size and her hand shook as she reached for the water. She hesitated just before touching the surface but her devotion eventually forced her hand into the freezing water.

The fang was no longer stuck to the Basilisk's jaw and Hermione merely had to pick it up from the bottom of the pool. It felt wet and hard in her hand as retreated from the water. She looked at it, in full realisation of what this thing could do. She held on to it as she took the cup from the bag, slowly peeling off its cloth covers and revealing it to the green lit room. She caught its shimmering and was reminded of the fight the locket had put up. The piece of Voldemort's soul inside the Cup knew it was about to be destroyed and it was trying to put up a fight.

Hermione remembered Bellatrix's pain the night before and how her violent tears had slashed her skin. She remembered the moments of her kindness, her sweetness before she was poisoned by the hatred. And a single tear trickled down Hermione's cheeks as she once again experienced the blade cutting through her flesh, drawing burgundy drops from her skin. The word Mudblood burnt in her arm as she raised the fang over her head before slamming it down with one single motion, piercing the very core of the cup.

She was panting and slowly opened her eyes. The cup lay before her, with a crack along its core. The fang had pierced straight through it and it was oozing what seemed like black drops of blood that now seeped into the floor. Small plumes of smoke circled up into the air and Hermione brushed the beads of sweat from her forehead. She carefully reached out to touch the cup. No longer did it feel warm under her touch and no longer did it feel like it pulsated. The piece of Voldemort's soul was dead. Hermione sat back, staring at the cup. And then she laughed. And her laughter, her cackle, echoed through the Chamber of Secrets. She was yet another step closer to Bellatrix.

~()~

She had taken the Basilisk fang out of the cup and had stored both securely in the bag before standing up. She had a final look around the room, taking in every image she could. She hoped she would never have to return here and the realisation that two of her friends had almost died here left her heart nearly frozen and she quickly ran back towards the passage. She was soaking wet, both from water and from sweat, and her hair stuck to her forehead. Her jeans, her jumper and her shoes were wet too. She ignored the metallic thumping sounds on her way out and was glad to eventually reach the surface in the girls' lavatory. When she climbed out of the passage she didn't even bother checking whether it had closed behind her. She made a beeline for the door and opened it. She checked the hallways and swore under her breath when the faint sound of a bell echoed through the castle. It was the end of class and the distinct sounds of chairs and desks moving over her head began to fill the castle. Doors opened and hundreds of footsteps and voices filled the corridor. There were no classrooms on the second floor and there was no real reason for students to be here, but if the students were on the move it was likely the teachers were too. She closed the door again and rested against it with her back. She only hoped Moaning Myrtle didn't feel the need to come back to her favourite hangout spot.

She paced around the room a few times, her eyes constantly drawn back to the passage that was still open. There was a part of her that found it hard to believe Salazar Slytherin had actually created this thing and that the young Tom Riddle had used it in his own time. The idea was sickening and terrifying and yet also strangely intriguing.

Hermione spun around when there was an unexpected knock on the door. She aimed her wand hid behind the large sink, pressing herself against the cold stone. She was out of sight from the door and listened as the door knock turned and the door opened. It closed quietly again but she became instantly aware of the presence of another person in the room with her. She bit down on her lip and held her breath. Her heart pounded against her ribcage.

"Miss Granger?"

It was a familiar voice. The Scottish lilt was unmistakable and Hermione let her breath escape. Her heart eased down in her chest and she felt her muscles relax. She stepped from behind the sink, lowering her wand as she did so, and now stood face to face with Minerva McGonagall. Her teacher's face was riddled with shock but also with relief now that she had found Hermione.

"Professor..." Hermione whispered in shock. Her eyes were fixed on McGonagall's face and she shook her head. "How did you know...? Who told you?"

"I had to help Mr Potter and Mr Weasley get into the Room of Requirement, as they encountered dear Severus along their way. Not even an Invisibility Cloak can stop that old bat from spotting trouble!" answered McGonagall and her emerald green eyes searched Hermione's face. "They told me you were here... trying to get into the Chamber..."

"I've been and come back" Hermione answered quickly and clutched the bag. Her teacher had no idea why she was here and she had no intentions of telling her. "Did Harry and Ron get into the Room?"

McGonagall nodded, her eyes lingering on the bag Hermione was holding. Hermione knew she was curious but her teacher didn't ask. "But it is important I get you out of here without being seen, Miss Granger. Mr Potter informed me you are to meet him back at the Shrieking Shack. I trust you will let me escort you out of the castle?"

Hermione nodded and looked at her Head of House. "We haven't forgotten Hogwarts, Professor"

Professor McGonagall cocked her head and a rare smile spread across her lips. "And Hogwarts hasn't forgotten you, Miss Granger. Or your friends for that matter. I trust your mission is going well? I know Mr Potter is doing whatever Albus asked of him. He always a silly old coot..."

"But a wise one, Professor" Hermione added with a little smile and remembered the night Ron had pointed out they had no idea how to destroy the locket. She fought to push the memory back into the depths of her mind and instead called up the rare moment Bellatrix had smiled at her. "And yes, I would be honoured for you to escort me out of the castle... But do you not have class?"

"I trust a group of seventh year Gryffindors are very capable of creating their own mayhem without needing my assistance..." McGonagall answered and added a wink to her words before flicking her wand. A black, simple travelling cloak appeared and she gave it to Hermione. "Wear this. There is a Disillusionment Charm placed upon it but, just in case, I will place one upon you as well..."

She rasped her wand over Hermione's head and she felt the sensation once described by Harry as someone breaking a raw egg over her head. She shivered and then put on the cloak given to her by McGonagall.

"What you must remember is that the charm on the cloak is a permanent charm, Miss Granger. I want you to keep the cloak for as long as you need. It is not the same as that cloak of Mr Potter, but it will do the trick all the same. Or at least with your average Slytherin, who are too thick to know anything different..." McGonagall said and looked at Hermione. She nodded approvingly. "Perfect. Now, let's get going"

Just as she opened the door, they cam e to the realisation they were no longer alone. In the corridor stood Severus Snape, clearly on his way to somewhere, and his dark eyes snapped in McGonagall's direction. She stepped in front of Hermione, to make sure that Snape wouldn't see through the Charm, and met his intense gaze.

"Something on your mind, Severus?" McGonagall asked with a venomous voice.

"There is always something on my mind, Minerva" he answered slowly. "Might I ask what you are doing on this floor? If I am not mistaken, you have a class full of Gryffindors to attend to?"

"My Gryffindors are very much capable of following the curriculum without constant supervision from a teacher..." McGonagall a sneered and Hermione had to suppress a giggle, as McGonagall was clearly saying that Snape's precious Slytherins weren't. The look in his eyes darkened.

Snape seemed to consider saying something else but then changed his mind. He stalked down the corridor, his black robes billowing behind him as he disappeared around the corner. Professor McGonagall turned around and looked at the empty space behind her. Hermione had to be there somewhere. "He is always doing this, you know..."

Hermione smiled though McGonagall couldn't see. "What? Sticking his abnormally large nose in other people's business? Yeah, so I noticed..."

Professor McGonagall smiled to herself and checked the corridor before she and Hermione began to walk towards the Grand Staircase. Hermione made sure to stay close to her Head of House and felt an immense sense of pride towards her. It appeared that McGonagall and her students had not crumbled under the reign of terror inflicted on them by Snape and his Death Eater staff. As she walked down the stairs she felt the cold atmosphere in the castle. The kind, welcoming warmth that had lingered between these walls when Dumbledore had still been alive was gone and it had been replaced by an eerie silence, with shadows lurking in the corners. The castle reminded her of Malfoy Manor.

They made it down to the Entrance Hall without being seen and with a simple flick from her wand Minerva McGonagall opened the heavy oak front doors, revealing the grounds outside. It had started drizzling again and Hermione sighed. It seemed rain was their most frequent companion. The world seemed to weep under its current regime.

"Go! Before anyone sees you!" McGonagall whispered and her eyes searched the spot she thought Hermione to be standing. "Do not worry about Snape or anyone else finding you. I am sure your classmates will have organised plenty of mayhem by then..." Pride could be detected in her voice.

"Thank you, Professor" Hermione whispered and made sure to brush against her teacher to make her feel she was still there. She stepped out into the grounds and her eyes snapped up to the sky. It was rapidly becoming dark and it had little to do with the changing the weather. She turned to find McGonagall still standing in the open door, also looking up.

"He's coming..." Hermione whispered, suddenly remembering what Bellatrix had said the previous night. Her eyes fixed on McGonagall. "Professor, he's coming..."

"I know, Miss Granger. Return to the Shrieking Shack and wait for Mr Potter and Mr Weasley... Under no circumstance are you to come back to the castle..." McGonagall urged and she looked desperatly as if to find Hermione. Suddenly she wished she could see the young brunette, just one last time. She didn't know whether she would see her again after today.

"Professor, listen to me! It is Harry who can end it all! He must kill You-Know-Who..." Hermione threw off her cloak and drew her wand. She was still pretty much invisible. "Finite Incantatem..."

Slowly she became visible to her teacher and she rushed towards her. She came to a halt right in front of her and their eyes met. And McGonagall understood the stressed look in Hermione's eyes. She could see the hope still flickering in the other woman's eyes. "Do not worry about me, Professor. I will be fine! Find them! Find Harry and Ron. They know what it is that needs to be done. Only Harry can destroy him, Professor. It cannot be anyone else... "

Minerva McGonagall placed her hand briefly on Hermione's shoulder. "Put that cloak back on. It's not much but it will be enough to let you move around the castle without being seen..." She began to rush away but turned and looked at Hermione one last time. "Good luck... Hermione..."

Hermione watched her disappear back up the Grand Staircase and then picked up the cloak and put it back on. She clutched her wand and hurried back into the castle. Voldemort was coming. Bellatrix had been right. He knew what she and her friends were doing and he was coming to stop them. Did he know Harry and Ron had found the diadem as well? Had they managed to destroy it? Did he feel it when they killed his soul? If they had, it meant there were only two Horcruxes left.

And Hermione had a very eerie feeling about what those two final Horcruxes were.


	11. Chapter 11

To everyone who's reading and reviewing this: _I am so grateful and happy with all your comments and reviews. This story is rapidly approaching 100 reviews and I will be really thrilled when I reach that milestone. I can write my stories but I only know its really worth my while when you guys review it. So thank you._

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**Chapter 10**

Time had never seemed so important. She had no idea how much of it she had. Seconds, or maybe minutes. Whatever the right answer, she did not have any time to waste. But she knew it was about to run out unless they acted fast. If nothing was done, the world like they knew it would forever be changed. Voldemort was coming and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Hermione hurried along empty corridors, passing classrooms that had once been so familiar. But the times she had sat in these very rooms and listened to her teachers lay well behind her now. Her footsteps echoed off the walls but it was as if no one heard her. Classes were still undisturbed and she could hear voices coming from behind doors. Soft voices; they were talking and laughing. And it was the sound of laughter that sparked just a little bit of hope, deep down in the darkest pits of her stomach. Fear had overwhelmed her now and she realised that it was not Minerva McGonagall who had to find Harry and Ron, but she herself.

She had climbed the several flights of stairs until she reached the seventh floor. Never before had the journey to the seventh floor taken this long. She was panting and felt exhausted. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, thumping against ribcage so harshly she thought it was going to burst out. She ran along the empty corridor until she reached the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet. She thought off the room and Harry and Ron inside and walked past it three times before slowly turning around to find the entrance beginning to form.

She opened the door and stormed inside, slamming it shut behind her. Clouds of dust instantly filled the air. The room was filled with shelves and bookcases and all sorts of other broken items nobody had a need for. It was dimly lit though its source was unidentifiable. It was a dark, orange gloom. She listened but couldn't hear her friends' voices nor did she hear any footsteps. For just a moment she thought she had perhaps missed them and they had run out of time.

"Harry? Ron?"

"What is it?" Harry called from behind a shelf and his head appeared. He looked somewhat flushed and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. There was a smudge of something dark across his cheek. When he saw Hermione's worried face he hurried towards her and looked at her. "What's happened, Hermione?"

"He's coming! There's no time!" Hermione breathed in an attempt to control her breathing. Harry's green eyes widened in shock. "You-Know-Who is coming, Harry! He knows... He knows what we've been doing and he knows we have destroyed the Horcruxes!" She looked at Harry and swallowed. He wasn't holding the diadem. His hands were empty. "Did you... did you destroy the diadem?"

"Not yet..." Harry said and Ron emerged from behind the same shelf, clutching what looked like a silver crown. Hermione's heart skipped in her chest and she shook her head, erasing a brief image of Bellatrix's dark eyes. "We only just found the diadem. I knew I had seen it before". He shot his friend a questioning look as Ron carried it towards Hermione, holding the diadem like it was some sort of prized possession. "Did you bring the fang back with you? If it destroyed the cup, it can destroy the diadem. This means there are only two left. But we have destroyed the four items linked to the Founders. What are the other Horcruxes?"

Hermione opened her bag and took out the Basilisk fang. She gave it to Ron and watched as she carefully placed the diadem on the floor. Light reflected off its shiny surface and Hermione caught sight of the inscription. _Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure_. She held her breath as Ron knelt down onto the floor, still holding the fang. She could see the fear reflecting in his eyes and for a moment she wondered if this was what it had been like the night he destroyed the locket. He had never told her what had happened that night.

The diadem seemed to flicker in the dim light of the room. The piece of Voldemort's soul trapped inside knew it was about to die and it was showing them it was angry. Hermione could feel the hatred radiating from inside the diadem. For a brief moment she would swear she saw an eye reflecting in one of the blue gemstones in the diadem's centre.

"Kill it Ron!" Hermione urged desperatly and watched how Ron repeated the same stabbing technique she had used on the cup in the Chamber of Secrets. His arm came down in a slamming motion, without doubt or hesitation, jamming the Basilisk fang through the centre of the diadem. It broke into two separate pieces and a high pitched wail escaped from inside. Hermione instantly covered her ears and watched Harry and Ron do the same. A cloud of dust, circling up to form the shape of an eye, filled the room and a dilated pupil stared at the three of them. The eye of Voldemort had seen them. A whisper none of them could understand echoed in their ears. And then, it began to fade. Like mist clearing in the sunrise of a new morning.

"Is it... gone?" Hermione whispered as she too knelt down to the floor and picked up the broken pieces of the diadem into her hand. It wasn't pulsating any longer. It was cold and empty in her hands, much like the cup had felt after she had penetrated it. She looked up to Harry and Ron, who had lowered their hands as well. She swallowed the bile rising in the back of her throat away and fear had filled her eyes. "I think I know what the other Horcruxes are...Both of them!"

"What?" Ron whispered and he stood up. He watched how Hermione carefully stored the broken diadem in her bag, together with the cup. She too stood up and her eyes drifted across the room. Outside, darkness was setting in quickly and throughout the castle footsteps and voices began to move. Voldemort was here and when Hermione turned to look at Harry, she found him rubbing his scar with a pained expression.

"The snake...Voldemort's snake... Nagini..." Hermione whispered and looked at Harry. There were tears glistening in her eyes. The pieces had fallen into place. Seeing him rub his scar, having shared years at his side, she knew she wasn't wrong. The visions... She swallowed and took a deep breath to control the racing of her heart. "And _you_, Harry..."

"_Me?"_ Harry questioned in shock and his eyes fixed on Hermione. "How do you... a piece of Voldemort lives inside of me? Hermione, I know you're clever but you have really lost the plot now!"

"Your connection to him, Harry! You have been able to see through his eyes for all these years because a piece of him lives _inside_ you. And he might not have intended for it to happen, but I suspect he made you the seventh Horcrux the night he killed your parents! And I bet he's only recently worked that out! It would also explain why you saw through the eyes of the snake that night you saw Mr Weasley being attacked! It's why he sent that ruddy animal to Godric's Hollow. Because you wouldn't see through the disguise as it occupied Bathilda Bagshot's dead body!"

"So we kill the snake..." Ron began and his eyes came to a rest on Harry, who looked frightened. He still held the Basilisk fang and Hermione knew what he was thinking but she doubted it was going to work. "But how do we kill the piece of You-Know-Who that lives inside of Harry?"

All three of them remembered the words of the prophecy. _For neither can live while the other survives._

Hermione shook her head and stared at her friends. The darkness had invaded the castle. There was no way out. They would have to face Voldemort eventually. "I don't know..." she sounded defeated and brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "I don't know..."

For just another moment they stood like this, lost in their own thoughts and contemplating what to do next. It was Harry who eventually looked at both of his friends. They had come this far and if the battle was imminent, he was not about to back out.

"To the Great Hall!" Harry said with determination in his voice and began running towards the door. Without questioning him, Ron and Hermione followed. From here on everything was a guess. An action based on a thought, an en emotion. An act of desperation. "If Voldemort has invaded the castle, he will try to bring everyone together in one place. He will fight to take over this final fortress. Everyone will gather there!"

They left the Room of Requirement behind and Hermione just caught sight of Harry and Ron before they disappeared underneath the Invisibility Cloak. She swung McGonagall's cloak back over her own shoulders and instantly blended in with the masse of students hurrying down the stairs. The doors to the Great Hall were open and Hermione hurried inside. She saw Pansy Parkinson and some other Slytherins to her right. They were smiling and laughing and took seats at their House table. However, the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked worried but also determined. Hermione's eyes snapped towards the staff table. There wasn't a sign of Snape and she wondered if he had gone to join Voldemort. She didn't see the Carrows either. Instead, Minerva McGonagall faced the students and she spoke with a strong, powerful and collected voice.

"Today will be the day of truth. What lies ahead of us will not be easy and we can only hope that the sun will rise after darkness. We have all stood together..." Her eyes rested on the Slytherin table and Hermione could see and feel her disapproval. "...in this difficult time. It pains me to tell you that tonight everything will come together. It ends here, in whatever way. Prefects, I ask you to take all your under aged students and provide them with a safe passage out of the castle into Hogsmeade. Help is coming to us..."

She was cut off by a horrifyingly haunting voice that emerged from nowhere and several younger students cried out in fear.

"Blood shall be spilled tonight but do not let it be the blood of the innocent. I have come merely for one thing. Harry Potter. Give me the boy and no one else will get hurt. Refrain from doing so and the consequences cannot be overseen. I hate to spill pure blood and let it drench the grounds of a place that has taught so many..."

_Voldemort _Hermione thought to herself and looked around the Great Hall. The faces of those present here were filled with fear and when she looked at McGonagall she noticed the distinct twitching of her lip. She would not let fear control her. It wasn't in a Gryffindor's nature to be overpowered by fear. She strode across the room, suddenly feeling very blessed for the cloak she was wearing and took a stand next to McGonagall. She could sense that her Head of House had felt her come up.

"Professor, it's me..." she hissed so softly only McGonagall could hear. She could see the look in her teacher's eyes change and knew she had heard her. "I don't know where Ron and Harry are but I need you to tell them they need to kill Voldemort's snake at the first opportunity they get. It might not leave his side and it is a risk... but it is of outmost importance that it is killed!"

McGonagall once again faced her students. Most of the Slytherins had gotten up and begun to walk off. They did not fear the battle that lay ahead of them and Hermione knew it was because most of their parents were Death Eaters. Her eyes fixed on Draco Malfoy, still sitting at the table. She remembered how he had cowered into a corner when Bellatrix had tortured her and the more she looked at him, the more he resembled his father. He looked nothing like Narcissa.

"It has come to our attention that Voldemort possesses a snake..." McGonagall spoke and at the Gryffindor table Ginny piped up. She knew the snake, since it had once attacked her father. "It is understood that the creature needs to be killed for Voldemort to be defeated. At any opportunity you get, kill the snake... Now prefects, take the under aged students out of the castle and then meet me back here"

The prefects stood up and began gathering the under aged students. Hermione watched from McGonagall's side and saw how Ginny and Neville were instantly sticking their heads together and began whispering. She smiled when they were joined by Luna, who had left her own House table and joined them. Together, the trio shot a final glance at McGonagall before disappearing in the crowd. McGonagall glanced at Hermione.

"Those three remind me an awful lot of you and Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. Most mayhem has been caused by those three and their friends. They still believe in Dumbledore's Army..." she whispered and she smiled. Hermione felt her heart glow in appreciation and watched her friends as they faded into the crowd. "I suggest you had better be off, Miss Granger. Wherever Mr Potter and Mr Weasley are, they could do with your help..."

Hermione stepped down and hurried across the Great Hall, careful not to bump into anyone. She had no idea where Harry and Ron were and with them all being invisible, she had no idea how she was going to find them. She opened the oak front door and stepped out into the grounds. Though it was midday, the sky was grey and it was as if the sun had set behind the horizon. A threatening red gloom lingered along the horizon and Hermione took a deep breath. The grounds seemed abandoned and she looked up to the terrifying dark sky. Death would be their friend today.

She turned around when a silver coloured object rapidly approached her. Hermione watched as the outline became clearer and quickly realised she was looking at a small dog. It was barking and jumped around her legs. The Patronus was unusually clear and powerful and Hermione recognised it as Ron's. So she began following the small dog and it led her across the grounds, towards the Forbidden Forest, past Hagrid's hut. It seemed abandoned and she hoped he was in the castle with everybody else.

"It's coming back!" she heard Ron's voice whispering and looked around. There were plenty of shadows between the trees and she heard a twig snap. "It must have found her!"

Slowly she lowered her cloak and revealed herself to her friends. Harry stepped out from behind a tree and she rushed towards him. She stared at him in excitement and fear. "Did you hear him? Voldemort?"

Harry nodded. "The Death Eaters are everywhere but they aren't attacking. We saw Dolohov earlier. I don't know why. I heard him, Hermione. Voldemort wants me. But in order for me to kill him, he has to try and kill me first. I think that's the only way to destroy the piece of his soul inside me..." He saw Hermione's eyes widen in terror and he grasped her hand. He sounded more confident than he felt. "Don't worry! It'll be okay!"

"You are going to offer yourself to Voldemort and you say it will be okay?" Hermione arched an eyebrow and grinned. "Now who has lost the plot?"

"The Order is on their way. We heard Slughorn say so" Ron said but Hermione knew that not even the Order of the Phoenix could help them today. "They are probably already in the castle"

"I told McGonagall they need to kill the snake at the first opportunity they get" Hermione said slowly and looked at her friends. This was it. There was no way out. They would have to fight their way through and there was nothing else they could do. The battle was imminent and she just hoped she wouldn't have to face the faces of the dead afterwards. She took a deep breath. "Go back inside the castle, Harry. At least you are contained and surrounded by those willing to fight for you... "

"Where are you going?" Ron asked as Harry wrapped him and his mate back up under the cloak. Only their heads were visible. Hermione did the same and a smile began to spread across her face.

"There is someone I need to see..." she whispered and pulled her wand. She disappeared fully underneath her cloak and began walking across the grounds, leaving Harry and Ron to make their way back to the castle. "I am going to destroy Voldemort's defences from the inside out..."

~()~

She lurked in the shadows and it did not take her long before she found a small group of Death Eaters. They were hiding between the trees and most of their faces went hidden behind their terrifying masks. But only a few had chosen to show their true colours and she recognised the pale skin and dark eyes immediately. Even in the darkness, Bellatrix was still hauntingly beautiful and she stood beside Lucius Malfoy and, to her surprise, Narcissa. And it seemed the latter was acting as her sister's shield and Hermione wondered how much Narcissa really knew about the Horcruxes. There was a purple bruise on Bellatrix's cheek, much like someone had hit her.

Narcissa was circling her sister like a predator, her dark eyes fixed on the raven haired woman instead of the castle behind her. She twirled her wand between her fingers and Hermione was cruelly reminded of what had happened between them back at the Manor. Anger mixed with revulsion while she watched her.

"Why are we not attacking?" growled a man's voice Hermione didn't really know. She had only heard it once or twice when she was kept at the Manor and his face went hidden behind the mask. It was the voice of a coward. "I bet Severus is getting all the fun torturing those filthy little Mudbloods..."

"Patience..." said Lucius with a drawling voice and turned at his comrade. She could see the satisfaction glistening in his eyes. She knew he hoped to gain Voldemort's approval once again. "Our time will come..."

Hermione's eyes then fixed on Bellatrix. Her heart was racing in her chest just at the sight of her. As she stood there, rigid and slightly further away from everybody else, she was once again reminded of her beauty and she suppressed the urge to just rush towards her. She could see the inner battle deep beneath the surface. Bellatrix seemed torn. The rings around her eyes were darker than ever before. There was a constant shimmer in her eyes. The battle between the darkness and the light. A desperate bid for freedom. She watched how the raven haired witch rolled her wand through her fingers like she was bored, but she also noticed how every so often the tip was aimed at her sister. It was like a silent accusation. Narcissa's eyes never left her sister's hand. It was a silent standoff.

A horrific scream rose from inside the castle walls and all the Death Eaters and Hermione spun around. A burst of flames erupted from the ceiling of the Great Hall and Hermione covered her mouth to smother a scream. Orange flames were now eating away at the castle's walls and around her the Death Eaters erupted in cheer. She shivered as she went stone cold inside. Her heart had frozen. The outburst of flames was a display of Voldemort's anger but she had no idea of knowing what for. But the Death Eaters believed to be victory and with a simple flick of his wand, Lucius Malfoy invited his comrades to attack. From the shadows clouds of black smoke appeared and more and more masked and cloaked figures approached the now burning castle. Bright jets of light began to fill the air and she could smell the intense smoke in her nostrils.

Narcissa had immediately fallen behind and stopped dead in her tracks halfway across the grass. She turned to find Bellatrix still standing between the trees. The orange flames reflected in her charcoal eyes and a single tear trickled down her porcelain skin. She was shivering and seemed unable to move.

"BELLA!" she cried but her sister didn't move. Hermione could see her contemplating whether to use her wand but she lowered her outstretched arm and resulted to calling for her sister. "BELLA!"

Narcissa had but a fraction of a second to decide and chose to charge towards the castle instead of running back to her sister. From inside came the distinct sound of spells crashing into objects. Windows shattered and the sound of breaking glass rang in Hermione's ears. Shouting voices came from inside the castle and the surrounding grounds. But she turned to look at Bellatrix, who still seemed to be frozen in her spot. Instead of running towards the erupting battle, Hermione closed the final yards between her and Bellatrix and grasped her hand.

"Bella..." she breathed and pulled down her cloak, revealing her bushy hair and hazel eyes. Her mouth had gone dry and she forced the raven haired woman to look at her. "Bella, look at me..."

The eyes that turned to meet hers looked nothing like the dark gaze she had seen throughout the last few weeks. Bellatrix looked broken and Hermione saw the silent tears stream down her face. And suddenly she suspected Voldemort's anger had been over another destroyed Horcrux. Which one of the two she didn't know but Bellatrix's own soul had reached the surface and was about to break out. Only a thin layer restricted her from being freed forever.

"It hurts... so bad..." Bellatrix whispered and dropped to her knees. Her raven curls fell before her face like a curtain and Hermione sank to the floor as well, still holding the other woman's hand. "Like... I am being torn apart... inside..."

In desperation, Hermione planted a kiss on Bellatrix's hair. It was a burning sensation against her lips. She pulled away, quickly touching her mouth. Blisters had already begun to form and her hand slipped from Bellatrix's. She was too hot to touch. Her skin was radiating intense heat. Bellatrix was glowing, like she had a burning fever. Her body was trembling and the tears still kept falling from her eyes. Hermione could only imagine the tormenting pain she was enduring inside, every time another piece of Voldemort's soul was destroyed and it felt as if her own soul was being split.

"It will all be over soon, I promise..." Hermione whispered to the now trembling woman at her feet. Bellatrix was once again desperatly clutching and pulling at her dress and began to reveal glowing pieces of her skin. Her flesh had turned a painful shade of red and her nails made deep scratches, drawing more blood. She was covered in bruises, Hermione noticed and she tried to comfort her but she was so hot she couldn't touch her.

"Aguamenti..." Hermione whispered as she aimed her wand at Bellatrix and attempted to cool her down with the consistent flow of water. But the water almost instantly evaporated of the dark witch's skin and Hermione withdrew her wand, worried she was causing Bellatrix even more pain ermiH.

"What... is...happening...to...me..." Bellatrix managed to whisper and her eyes turned up to meet Hermione's before rolling back into her head. Her body started convulsing and Hermione desperatly attempted to calm her down. Around them, the battle erupted and the flames were now eating away at nearly a third of the castle and a bright orange glow painted the sky a terrifying shade of death. Eventually Bellatrix's body fell still and she lay at Hermione's feet, her dark eyes staring up at her. Hermione tenderly brushed a strand of damp hair out of her face. She was still burning hot under her touch and she sighed. Tears seeped from under her eyelashes and fell down onto the raven haired woman before her.

"From the moment you were born, your soul belonged to Voldemort" Hermione began to share the truth about Bellatrix's life. She knew the other woman could hear her. "Your father sold your soul to him to repay a debt. Throughout your life, you were meant to be the most devoted follower. And when Voldemort was destroyed, you were thrown into Azkaban. But he wasn't dead. Pieces of his soul lived on in various objects and while they were still intact, you could not be freed... By the time you found me and my friends at Malfoy Manor, we had destroyed three Horcruxes and you could feel the difference inside you..."

She tenderly touched Bellatrix's forehead and the dark haired woman took a sharp breath in.

"Frightened..."

"You were frightened, yes. Never before had you experienced anything that resembled your own conscience and now your true soul began to find its way out. First, the moments were only brief. But I could see it in your eyes. And they angered you, those moments of weakness, and you lashed out. You retaliated with aggression. But the more Horcruxes were destroyed and the weaker Voldemort became the stronger your own soul turned out to be..."

Another fireball erupted from inside the castle and Hermione grabbed hold of Bellatrix and dragged her further into the forest, away from the castle. She was still burning hot and she guessed it was the final link with Voldemort that was making her so ill. Voldemort was still alive and Bellatrix wouldn't be free until he was dead. When Hermione let go of Bellatrix, the raven haired Death Eater began convulsing again and Hermione couldn't do anything else but watch in fear. She turned slightly when more explosions sounded from inside the castle and she watched in shock how the roof collapsed with a sickening crashing sound. Plumes of smoke, dust and debris filled the dark sky and more flames began eating away on the once so proud fortress. Hermione grabbed her cloak and covered Bellatrix with it. She was too weak to move but now nobody could find her.

"I promise I will be back..." Hermione whispered and she left behind the woman she had grown to love and hurried towards the castle. It was in ruins and she fought her way through Aurors and Order members battling Death Eaters and stumbled over still bodies she did not dare look at. Dark drops of blood had stained the marble steps and portraits had been blasted to pieces. Glass and splintered wood littered the floor. But she followed the continuous sound of explosions coming from what once had been the Great Hall. The decapitated body of Nagini lay across the floor, blood still seeping from where its head had once been. She found Neville still standing beside it, clutching the sword of Gryffindor in one hand and Nagini's head in the other.

And she watched from the ruins, together with dozens of other people, how a green jet collided with Harry's chest and as if in slow motion he tumbled to the floor. His green eyes were still open when his body crashed down onto the marble and he lay still. Like a puppet nobody wanted to play with anymore. And the world just came to a halt.

Suddenly there was ultimate silence.

And she remembered. Harry was the last Horcrux. The spell had not killed him but merely destroyed the piece of Voldemort inside of him. Though his body lay still and he wasn't moving, she knew him to still be alive. Around her people cried out in pain and she watched as across the room, Ron came flying towards Harry's body. A horrific scream had escaped from his throat. She couldn't risk him getting hurt and she cast a powerful Shield Charm between him and Harry's body. And Voldemort slowly turned around. His ruby red eyes now rested on her and he smiled. They stood in a direct line across each other. His snake like, disfigured face, smiled and he gave her a curd nod.

"Too late, Miss Granger..." he spoke in his hissing voice and almost seemed to give her a gentle bow.

She knew he was taunting her but Hermione shook her head. Her heart suddenly cried in her chest. "No..." she paused and looked down at Harry. She had seen the movement behind his eyes. His wand lay beside him, out of reach. He would never be able to pick it up without Voldemort knowing he was still alive. And she knew he had given her permission. It had to be Harry who destroyed the final Horcrux because only Harry could destroy himself. But when it came to Voldemort, he was now as mortal as any other person in this room. Whatever had lived inside of Harry was gone but he was too weak. It was up to her now. And she stepped forward, her wand drawn.

"No, Tom... I am not too late. I am just in time..."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"PROTEGO!"

Their spells collided and Hermione's Shield Charm instantly deflected Voldemort's Killing Curse. Never before had any Shield Charm she cast before been this powerful. But its glow filled the whole Great Hall. The green jet of light seared back across the distance of the hall, rapidly approaching the darkest wizard the world had ever known. And she could see it. She could see the surprise flickering in his eyes. Behind her, Harry had leapt to his feet and grabbed his own wand. The crowd began to cheer at that very same second and Hermione felt her heart explode when the Killing Curse struck Voldemort straight in his chest. His ruby red eyes lit up, just one final time, before they died down. His body went rigid for just a second and then it tumbled to the floor in slow motion. Gone was the madness that lived underneath. Gone was the power and erased was the darkness. All that remained was an empty shell.

And as the crowd suddenly closed in on her, Harry and Ron, Hermione fought to find a way outside and left behind the cheering masse. As she ran outside, into the darkness, she watched how various dark shadows Disapparated away. One of them had distinct blonde streaks laced through her dark hair. Narcissa Malfoy froze when she discovered Hermione running away from the castle and for a moment she seemed startled as to what to do. But as the remaining Death Eaters Disapparated, Narcissa followed.

Hermione didn't stop her. She merely ran as fast as she could, her heart almost exploding in her chest, until she reached the very spot where she had left Bellatrix under her cloak. She dropped to her knees, not even aware of the sharp pain that shot through her, and lifted up the cloak with a simple flick of her wand.

Bellatrix was unconscious and she laid still, one hand stretched out beside her, the other folded across her stomach. Her head was turned to the left and her raven curls covered most of her face. Her chest was rising and falling slowly and Hermione carefully reached out a hand. No longer was she burning. Her skin felt cold and soft under her fingers and she tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of Bellatrix's face. And a smile began to spread across Hermione's face and she placed a tender kiss on Bellatrix's forehead. She took the raven haired woman's hand into her own, closed her eyes and called up the one image she knew would give them safety.

And they Disapparated, leaving behind the burning ruins of Hogwarts.


	12. Chapter 12

**"Masquerade" past 100 reviews! Oh dear Merlin, I am so happy! Thank you all so so much! It means the world!**

**I dedicate this chapter to all of you!**

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**Chapter 11**

The Forest of Dean was a sea of tranquillity. A lonely bird sang a sad song somewhere in a tree and the sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, painting the sky beautiful shades of orange, yellow and red. Here they were so far away from what had happened at Hogwarts and Hermione had started a small fire after having cast every protective spell she could think off. From Harry's bag she had taken the tent and it stood between the trees, partially in the shadows. She sat on the floor, beside the bed in which she had slept only one night. Bellatrix was still asleep. She had not woken up since they Disapparated from Hogwarts several hours ago and Hermione began to wonder whether she had perhaps exhausted the raven haired woman too much by travelling so far. She had been sitting at by her side, tenderly brushing strands of hair out of her face, for the past few hours. But whenever her eyes didn't rest on Bellatrix, she was thinking of her friends who were celebrating the downfall of Voldemort and had no idea where she was.

She snapped out of her musings when Bellatrix stirred and Hermione sat up, looking at the dark haired witch. Slowly, dark eyes fluttered open and a pained expression spread across Bellatrix's face. But then her eyes found Hermione's and she slowly sat up. Confusion had filled her eyes and she looked around the tent as if to determine where she was.

"What... what happened?" Bellatrix carefully asked and looked at Hermione. "Where am I?"

"Forest of Dean" Hermione answered softly and stood up. She hurried across the tent and picked up to steaming mugs of coffee she had made earlier and had kept warm with the help of some cleverly used magic. Bellatrix took it without even asking what it was and it never even occurred to Hermione that the dark haired witch had no idea what coffee was. She knelt back down at Bellatrix's side and looked up to her. "What do you remember?"

Bellatrix seemed to be searching through the blurry events of her mind but her eyes never filled with realisation. She merely stared into the dark drink Hermione had given her. She could remember voices shouting and faces fading in the shadows. She could remember the flames and the burning pain. She remembered the darkness and the sensation of being washed away, taken over. She rubbed her forehead and shook her head.

"I can't remember anything..."

Hermione sat back and looked at Bellatrix. She looked the same. The same raven hair, falling down her back and shoulders like a black waterfall of ringlets. The same velvet dress and leather corset, albeit torn, and the same leather laced high heeled boots. Dark purple bruises covered her porcelain skin and there was a gash on her cheek. It had stopped bleeding awhile ago but the dried blood still stuck to her skin and hair. But she was most definitely different. The tone of her voice was less deep and her eyes were brighter. It was as if someone had turned on the light deep down below.

Bellatrix's gaze dropped down her left arm. Her sleeve had been torn off completely and she stared down at her forearm. Hermione followed her look and discovered that the Dark Mark was fading rapidly. It had turned into a grey coloured scar already and Hermione suspected it would only take a few more days before it had healed into a clean, though everlasting, scar.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Hermione carefully asked and put down her mug. She stood up and sat down on the bed too. She looked at the older woman sideways. Bellatrix rested her head in her hands and her curls fell in front of her eyes like a dark curtain.

"Voices screaming things. Blurred faces. Pain. But it's all like a distant dream. Like I had a nightmare and woke up..." Bellatrix answered slowly and ran her hands through her hair. "Some nightmare, eh? I am not even sure whether I know who I am..."

Hermione swallowed. She had no idea what the impact of lifting the spell would be and she began to realise that with he removal of Voldemort's magic, Bellatrix had lost complete track of who she was and what she had once done. She wondered if she could even remember the horrific things she had done when Voldemort's magic still controlled her and she took a deep breath. If she wanted Bellatrix to trust her, the only thing she could do was be honest and tell the truth. She swallowed hard and ignored the stinging pain in her chest.

"You were under a very powerful spell, Bella..." Hermione began and Bellatrix curiously looked at her. "A spell so powerful that it replaced your own soul and conscience for one created by the wizard who placed you under that spell..."

"The Dark Lord" Bellatrix answered and Hermione nodded. Pieces of the puzzle were there. She just had to help Bellatrix reconstruct the image and together, they would learn and understand what had happened and where they could go from here. "I remember him. I remember..." She fell silent as horrific images suddenly flooded into her mind. Like a dam had been opened. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks and she shook her head in horror. "I remember what I did... I remember..."

"Ssssh..." Hermione whispered and wrapped her arms around Bellatrix, pulling her closer to her. "It's okay, I promise... It was because of him you did those things, Bella. It was never really you. He took your soul and hid it so deep underneath his magic that you never knew any different. Until... Until we destroyed him. When we began to destroy the pieces of his soul he had hidden in objects, his hold over you weakened and for the first time your own soul had a chance to be free..."

She held the dark haired witch as she cried and she could feel Bellatrix's tears slip down her own skin before they seeped into her jumper. Bellatrix was crying uncontrollably and Hermione couldn't even begin to imagine the horrific images the other woman was experiencing. The faces of her victims as she tortured them and left them for dead, only for them to die in loneliness, pain or drowning in their own blood. The countless nights she had spent in her cold cell in Azkaban, rotting away between its stone cold walls and the rats. The nights of terror she had spent at the side of Voldemort. The hatred she had known throughout all her life and the damage and the hurt she had caused. Those memories were still very real and even though they weren't truly hers, they would be part of her for the rest of her life. And they would have to find a place inside her somewhere. And Hermione had no idea whether they ever would.

"How did you know?" Bellatrix whispered into Hermione's brown curls and clung on to the younger witch. Her body was trembling and she was overwhelmed by her own emotions. For years she had not felt anything else but pure hatred. She had been numb to everything else. But now her heart could feel.

"I could see it in your eyes when..." Hermione swallowed the rest of her sentence and Bellatrix let go of her. Looking at the former Death Eater was like looking at a different, broken person, Hermione thought. Bellatrix's eyes were red and swollen from crying and she looked so confused and broken.

"I hurt you..." Bellatrix whispered and stood up. She began pacing around the tent, looking around skittishly as if she expected something or someone to attack her any second. "And not only you..."

"Bella..." Hermione began and stood up too. When she approached the other woman, she held still and turned to Hermione. "You have to understand that it wasn't you. It was the spell you were under. What Voldemort did to you... You never even stood a chance!"

"And you think the world out there is just going to believe that?" Bellatrix suddenly snapped and her eyes darkened, much like they had done before. She looked lost and confused and her eyes pierced into Hermione's. Tears laced her voice. "I remember, Hermione. I remember how they used to fear and hate me out there. Because of what I was and what I did. Do you really think that you telling them that Voldemort placed me under a spell is going to change their minds? They will just think I am trying to avoid Azkaban..."

Hermione didn't know what to say and just stared at Bellatrix. She wanted to touch her, to hold her and tell it was going to be all right. But now, in this very moment, she wasn't so sure. She wasn't even sure whether she had done the right thing. Perhaps it would have been better if Bellatrix had died in the Battle tonight. At the side of the only Master she had ever known in her life. Perhaps a life in freedom was far more terrifying than a life was a notorious Death Eater.

"How did you really know?" Bellatrix suddenly asked and she stared at Hermione. "You said you could see... But how did you r_eally_ learn about the truth? Someone must have told you. Someone knew..."

Hermione's mouth became dry when she remembered the moment Narcissa had told her about Bellatrix. She swallowed and turned away. "It doesn't matter..."

"It does matter, Hermione. Someone out there knew all along what was happening to me and never gave me a single chance... WHO TOLD YOU?" Bellatrix's screamed and Hermione felt herself shiver. She forced herself to look at the other woman and all she could see was the raving Death Eater who had tortured her at Malfoy Manor. She was exactly the same Bellatrix now. The anger flickered in her eyes and she was panting slightly.

"Your sister. _Narcissa_. She told me..." Hermione whispered and quickly walked towards Bellatrix. She was now pacing around the tent, muttering softly to herself. Everything about her reminded her of the Bellatrix she had seen before. Gone seemed the broken figure she had seen mere seconds ago "Bella, please... You need to rest... Please, Bella!"

It took ten minutes of persuading before she finally managed to direct Bellatrix back to the sleeping quarters. She helped her strip down from her ruined dress and politely turned around when Bellatrix changed into an old T-shirt and shorts she had found at the bottom of Harry's bag. Hermione then reorganised the room and placed one of the other two beds beside Bellatrix's and she lay down next to her. Their faces were turned towards each other and with a flick of her wand Hermione dimmed all the lights in the tent. Outside shadows created strange figures on the canvas and she stared at Bellatrix, who was staring back at her.

Hermione watched Bellatrix fall asleep and lay still, looking at the other woman's face. In the dim light of the tent she looked so fragile and so broken. Her skin was pale and Hermione resisted reaching out and touching her. Though she looked broken, she was still hauntingly beautiful and just before she had fallen asleep, Hermione saw the light of hope flicker in her charcoal eyes. And it had erased her doubts about whether she had done the right thing.

She lay beside Bellatrix, watching her as she slept. Her own thoughts were frantically running through her head. She had no idea where to go from here. Bellatrix would be weak for another few days, which means they couldn't travel very far. She had no idea whether Harry and Ron were trying to find her, or whether they even understood why she had left. She wondered if the Weasley's had told them the truth about Voldemort's Horcruxes and Bellatrix's soul and she could only imagine Harry's furious reaction if he learned how she had saved the witch who murdered the only family he had ever known. She had no idea who had survived the Battle at Hogwarts and who had died.

Eventually she too drifted off into a deep, dark sleep but her dreams were haunted by her thoughts and memories.

~()~

The next morning golden rays of sunshine fell through the trees and Hermione took in a deep breath of fresh morning air. The campfire had gone out over night but she did not bother starting it again. She didn't plan on staying here. If Ron and Harry used their minds, they would come looking for her here and she wasn't sure whether she was ready to face them just yet. She could smell the dew and looked around. It was yet another beautiful day. The sky was clear and birds were singing their songs.

From inside the tent came some unflattering swearing and Hermione stuck her head through the opening to find Bellatrix hopping through the tent on one leg whilst clutching her foot. Hermione couldn't suppress a smile. She had transfigured some of her own clothes so that they fitted the raven haired witch and she watched as Bellatrix fought with the zipper of her jeans whilst trying to put on her socks at the same time.

When Bellatrix eventually stepped out of the tent, she looked like a different woman and Hermione felt a warm sensation in her chest. Bellatrix had bound her raven curls into a loose pony tail and was wearing a pair of jeans, a white woollen jumper and a pair of boots. She turned to look at Hermione and the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile.

"You look like an advert from an autumn fashion magazine" Hermione smiled and placed a hand on Bellatrix's arm. Her stomach instantly did a summersault. "We don't have to travel far. I know you're still..."

"I'm fine..." Bellatrix answered and her dark eyes met Hermione's. "When I am with you..."

There was an uncomfortable silence and Bellatrix bit her lip as the awkwardness of her words began to sink in. She shot a nervous glance at Hermione. "You and me... are we..."

"I..." Hermione began and then realised she had no idea what she and Bellatrix really were. What had happened between them at the Manor had happened by force. Bellatrix had forced her and yet it had never been completely about that. She smiled weakly as she remembered how their bodies had fitted so perfectly together by the fire place. She even remembered how Bellatrix had bit down on her pulsating vein that afternoon in the drawing room, where she had left her for dead afterwards. "I... I don't know what we are, Bella..."

Bellatrix nodded, clearly confused and she looked straight ahead. "Right. But we'll find out, won't we?"

Hermione didn't answer. She could only guess that eventually they would. With a few flicks from her wand, Hermione wrapped up the tent and stored it in Harry's bag. She looked at Bellatrix, who was wandering between the trees. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to wake up in a world that was nothing like the one she had known or remembered. She swung the bag over her shoulder and weakly smiled.

"Bella! Are you ready?" she called and the raven haired woman turned around. She walked back to Hermione and curiosity flickered in her eyes.

"The world... it is different..." she said and Hermione nodded as she took Bellatrix's hand into her own, ready to Disapparate. She looked at her sideways.

"You have no idea..."

~()~

Neither Ron nor Harry had ever been to her house and she doubted whether either of them knew where she lived. Frankly, the only people who would know where she had grown up would be members of the Order and she didn't know who had survived the Final Battle. When she opened her eyes she found them standing in a small and narrow side street of the road she grew up on.

"Where are we?" Bellatrix wanted to know and Hermione looked at her.

"Gravesend, Kent" she answered and began to walk quickly towards her parents' house. Bellatrix followed. "We can stay here for awhile whilst we figure out what to do..."

"Hermione? Oh Hermione, how lovely to see you again..."

She froze when a voice called for her from across the street and she turned slowly. Instantly she let go of Bellatrix's hand and she produced a fake smile to greet the neighbour from across the road. Mrs Lowe was a lovely lady, in her late fifties, but she was extremely nosy. It had irritated Hermione evr since she was a child and when she had started Hogwarts it had been hard to keep lying to her about the boarding school she was going to. And now the woman was watering her flowers in the front garden. Like the rain hadn't done enough...

"Hello, Mrs Lowe..." Hermione said stiffly and just hoped Bellatrix wouldn't open her mind. She could only guess what her neighbour was thinking about her coming back home with a woman nobody knew whilst her parents were away. "How... how are you?"

"Not bad. Suffering with the arthritis and such..." Mrs Lowe began with what would undoubtedly be a long and boring story about her general health. Hermione bit her lip.

"Perhaps you should visit your doctor again, Mrs Lowe. I am sorry to rush but me and my friend Bella here have a lot of organising to do. Party, you see..." Hermione said and smiled politely, standing in front of Bellatrix. The woman behind her seemed to feel awkward to say the least and she had no idea how she was going to explain things to her once they were inside. "I err... I'll see you around..."

She pushed Bellatrix towards the front door and pretended to fumble with a key whilst she actually used her wand to open the door. Once inside and the door safely locked, Bellatrix turned to look at Hermione. "Who was that?"

"The nosiest neighbour in the world. I trust that by tea time the whole street will know that the Granger girl brought a stranger home to her parents' house..." Hermione growled and left her coat on the stairs. She entered the living room and found it in exactly the same state she had left it. Bellatrix followed, still looking curious and slightly nervous.

"We need to talk..." Hermione sat down on the sofa and Bellatrix followed. Looking at the other woman almost made Hermione forget that less than 24 hours ago she had been a Death Eater under Voldemort's spell. Now she was dressed in Muggle clothes and looked more confused and puzzled than Hermione did. Pink blushes had appeared on her pale cheeks and her dark eyes wandered around the living room. Hermione guessed Bellatrix had never set foot inside a Muggle home before, unless it was to kill its inhabitants.

Hermione cocked her head and leant back in the pillows. "Do you... do you remember anything about what I told you last night? Or what I said this morning..."

Bellatrix's face changed and her eyes became sad. "Yes. You told me that from the day I was born I belonged to Voldemort. That he had taken my soul because my father had sold it to him. And because you destroyed pieces of his soul... my own soul freed itself..."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Exactly. But what I am trying to understand is how much you remember of the years gone by? Do you remember what you did? What you used to do. Do you remember Azkaban?"

"No one can ever forget Azkaban" Bellatrix answered sadly and her voice betrayed the haunting memories that flooded back into her mind. She swallowed. "Doesn't matter what spell they're under"

"I don't know what to do. This is beyond what I had imagined. I don't know what I expected but..." Hermione carefully looked up to meet Bellatrix's eyes and she searched for her hand. She took it into her own and squeezed it. "I wasn't expecting you to be this... normal..."

"I remember, you know. Back at the Manor..." Bellatrix spoke softly as the tears trickled down her cheeks. She reached out to touch Hermione's face before her hand slipped down to her arm and carefully rolled back the sleeve of her jumper. She gasped when she discovered the bright red cuts that spelled MUDBLOOD. She shook her head. "I even remember that..." Slowly she looked up. "And all the other ways I hurt you..."

"You didn't always hurt me..." Hermione whispered and she reached up to brush a stray curl out of Bellatrix's face. "I still remember the kindness you showed me..." She came closer until their lips were only a mere inch apart. She could feel her warm breath against her skin and her heart leapt up in that familiar sensation she had felt back at the Manor. The corners of her mouth twitched and curled up into a smile. "And I still remember this..."

And she kissed her. She kissed her softly, tenderly, against bruised lips and could taste the salt of her tears. She still tasted the same, even now. Her lips tasted of sweet poison but now laced with innocence. Her own eyes fluttered shut as her fingers trailed through raven curls, slowly releasing them from the rubber band that had kept them in place. They fell down her shoulders and her back and Bellatrix's hands tenderly slipped back up along Hermione's arms, to the side of her face.

When they eventually parted, they rested their foreheads against each other. Soft tears were roling down Bellatrix's cheeks and Hermione tenderly brushed them away.

"Is this what we are?" Bellatrix questioned softly.

Hermione met her eyes and smiled. "It is not about what we are. It is about what we can be..."

~()~

The world outside had changed. The mist that had been pressing against the windows in the weeks leading up to the Final Battle had cleared. A bleak sun was now brightening up the world and every day the Daily Prophet delivered news about the changes that were going on. The first paper since the fall of Voldemort sported a massive picture of Harry on the cover, complete with bleeding gash on his cheek and bright green eyes behind his broken glasses. Above it screamed a bold printed headline **THE BOY WHO LIVED**. Underneath it there were two separate pictures. One of Ron, also taken just after the battle, with his clothes covered in dust and a black eye. And there was one of her...

Hermione stared at her own image. It had been taken last year and clearly the paper had dug it back up since they had failed to snap a picture of her just after the battle. It didn't mention her absence but the difference in the pictures were obvious. But the girl in the picture was nothing like the girl she was now. The rest of the pages were filled with stories about the Final Battle, using various statements of eye witnesses. After five pages of the same story told in different words, Hermione found the list of those who had died. She hesitated, not sure whether she wanted to read the list of names. Eventually she decided not to and skipped to the next page.

The headline was screaming at her, much like the front page had done. **DEATH EATERS ROUND UP**. The line underneath made her heart freeze in her chest. _Bellatrix Lestrange still unaccounted for. _Underneath that tagline were several pictures of faces she had come to recognise. Dolohov was staring at her in his Azkaban jumpsuit, holding his prisoner number in front of him. He looked menacing and angry. Next to his picture were the faces of Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix's husband, and his brother Rabastan. Next to them were the Carrows and then Hermione felt her heart drop in her chest. The next picture was the familiar face of Lucius Malfoy but it was the one next to him that made her drop the newspaper. From the floor the blue eyes of Narcissa Malfoy stared back at her. The smugness had not faded from her face and she still smiled, even now...

Hermione's eyes wandered off to the kitchen. Bellatrix was standing by the window, looking out into the world. She looked so lost inside herself that Hermione had no idea where to start to help her. And how was she ever going to tell her that her sister, her husband and her brothers in law had all been arrested and locked up in Azkaban whilst awaiting their trial?

By the window, Bellatrix turned around and she smiled at Hermione. Hermione answered her smile but inside her heart there was a tiny voice that now asked her what it was she had done? And where were they going from here?

She walked across the room and wrapped her arms around Bellatrix's waist. She rested her head on her shoulder and took in the sweet scent of her hair. She felt tears burn behind her eyes and Bellatix turned slightly to look at her. She smiled weakly.

"You are questioning yourself, aren't you?" she whispered softly and kissed Hermione's forehead. "About what you have done?"

Hermione didn't answer and merely stared out of the kitchen window, out into the backharden her parents had once loved so much. Even now she still couldn't face the empty picture frames that had been scattered around the room. She had put them in a box and put them in the cupboard under the stairs. She had no idea whether there would ever be a moment she would see her own face beside that of her parents again. And she remembered the picture in Ron's bedroom. She didn't even know if she would ever find herself beside her friends again.

She planted a lost kiss in Bellatrix's curls and they stood like this, together and alone. Out there lay a new world and neither of them had any idea what it would bring. Behind her, in the livingroom, the picture of Narcissa still smiled and Hermione guessed that whatever she had started when she freed Bellatrix, it was far from over.


	13. Chapter 13

It took a lot of time and effort to write this chapter - sorry for the delay but I couldnt find a way to kickstart it again0 and it still feels really slow and boring at the beginning. Please stick with me as I am preparing for the second lot of events to unfold... 120 reviews and counting... I would never have dared to hope... You guys are amazing. Thank you.

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**Chapter 12**

The days had passed by so quickly and now the calendar told Hermione it had been a week since they returned to Gravesend, since they set foot back into her parents' house. . The world seemed a brighter place. Every day the sun seemed to be a little brighter. It had stopped raining and the sky was an endless shade of blue. Whatever darkness and dreariness there had been, it was long gone now.

Waking up in the house she had grown up in was both familiar and haunting. The rooms still looked the same and yet everything had changed. Bellatrix had taken to staring out of the kitchen window quite a lot, without speaking a word for hours on end, and Hermione would often find her lost in thoughts and tear tracks on her cheeks. She had told Bellatrix about the fate of her sister, her husband and her brothers in law and Bellatrix had cried, refusing for Hermione to comfort her. But in between she had wandered around the house in her Muggle clothes, much to Hermione's amusement and had begun watching TV, having taken a fancy to some of the detective series, and listening to the radio. The nights they shared in Hermione's bed, close together, with Bellatrix's arm draped around Hermione's waist and their curls spread across the pillows.

It was late in the afternoon when Bellatrix came walking out of the kitchen, dressed in a grey cardigan and a white shirt underneath and a pair of black trousers. She fell down on the sofa next to Hermione, whose feet were resting on the coffee table. She was reading the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet but looked up when her lover sat down and arched an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"That neighbour was looking over the fence again" Bellatrix pouted and Hermione grinned.

"She is allowed to do that, you know. It is her garden..." she answered and put down the paper. She scooted over to Bellatrix and nestled herself against her shoulder. Bellatrix's arm slipped around her shoulder and she pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her bushy brown hair. Bellatrix didn't answer for awhile and they sat like this in silence.

"I want to see Narcissa..."

Bellatrix's words broke the comfortable silence that had lasted for several minutes and Hermione sat up with a jolt. She stared at her lover and her hazel eyes had widened.

"You want _what_?" Her throat became painfully dry and she was instantly reminded of what Narcissa had done to her. She and Bellatrix had never talked about it though she did not doubt the raven haired with remembered. Even the mention of Narcissa's name was enough for Hermione's heart to ache and she felt angry tears burn behind her eyes. Tears she didn't even know she still had. She shook her head.

"I want to see her. She is my sister" Bellatrix said, not making eye contact with Hermione. There was desperation in her voice. "And she owes me an explanation..."

"Not to mention an apology..." Hermione added sarcastically and shook her head. "Bella, do you really think it is going to make any difference whether you see her or not? It doesn't matter what you do, they are not going to let her out. And how do you even think you are going to get in? In case you've forgotten... you are in the top spot on the most wanted list!"

"Yes, I think we might have hit a potential problem there..." Bellatrix answered with a frown and sat up. Her eyes were full of light and she bit down on her lip. Hermione had learned to read these signs as Bellatrix trying to work out a plan. "How are we going to get around the Ministry?"

Hermione stared at Bellatrix in utter disbelief. She wanted to grasp her by her shoulders and shake her vigorously in an attempt to talk some sense into her but she suspected her words would fall onto deaf ears. "Are you seriously considering breaking into Azkaban to see your sister?"

"It's not like I can walk in through the front door now, can I?" Bellatrix answered with a cheeky grin. "Breaking in will be our only option. Unless they take me off that wanted list..."

"If you want off that wanted list, you will have to come out of hiding..." Hermione said slowly. They had reached the one subject they couldn't seem to agree on. Live freely in the world. Hermione wasn't sure whether the world would accept Bellatrix's story though Bellatrix was desperate to leave the house. "The world will know where you are and they will hunt you down like an animal. Not to mention Harry... I am sure he'd be happy to kill you before any of the Aurors get their hands on you"

Bellatrix sighed and pulled a face. "I don't want to be stuck inside all the time, Hermione. I am caged animal in here..."

"We could use Polyjuice Potion..." Hermione spoke her thoughts out loud and beside her, Bellatrix perked up. Hope had ignited in her eyes. "You could take it sometime before we go. I mean, they would let me into Azkaban without question. If the potion is near to the end, it will lose its magic when you are with Narcissa. You can take a second dose when we leave. They'll never know..."

"Let's do it..." Bellatrix said and she looked at Hermione. She was desperate to see Narcissa. It did not matter to her what it would take. "I need to see my sister, Hermione. I need to talk to her. If I don't do it now, I am not sure I ever will..."

Hermione nodded, her brain quickly working overtime and adding pieces together. "Leave the potion to me, Bella. There is some left from my time with Harry and Ron. I didn't throw it away... never know when it would come in handy. All I need is the hair of whoever you are becoming. We can't just pick any Muggle or witch or wizard. We will have to think about who you'll be..."

Bellatrix leant in and brushed her lips against Hermione. She smiled into the kiss and pulled the brunette closer. "You can break your pretty little head over that later. Right now..." She planted a kiss on Hermione's nose and played with the button of her jeans. Her smile became wider and the look in her eyes reflected lust and desire. Slim fingers dipped behind the denim "I want to show you something else..."

~()~

The next day, in the afternoon, Hermione walked back into the house. She had been gone for most of the day and the sun had begun to set behind the horizon. There were no lights on inside the house, leaving Hermione slightly worried. The excitement she had felt when she Apparated at the end of the road was slowly fading. She was clutching her handbag and was dressed in jeans, a waist length coat and a woollen jumper. She had bound her hair back in a loose pony tail. She closed the front door behind her and now stood in the hall.

"Bella?" she called but her voice just echoed through the empty house. Hermione pushed open the door to the living room. The morning edition of the Daily Prophet lay on the coffee table, clearly it had been read. The TV remote lay on top of it. Another sign Bellatrix had been around at some stage. There was an empty glass on the side table but none of the lights were on. Hermione walked further into the living room and her eyes wandered towards the kitchen. "Bella?"

"You're back!" Bellatrix's voice came from the top of the stairs and Hermione stepped back into the hall and looked up. She smiled when she discovered her lover's head peering over the banister and she climbed the stairs. Bellatrix's dark eyes followed her. Anticipation could be seen on her face. "I wasn't expecting you till much later..." Her gaze dropped to the bag. "Did you get it?"

Hermione nodded and planted a kiss on Bellatrix's cheek. "Yes, I got it..."

"How did it go?" Bellatrix asked as she and Hermione walked into Hermione's bedroom and fell down on the bed. She had cleared the floor from dirty laundry and had gathered Hermione's school books. Her old Transfiguration book lay open on the bed. Bellatrix had been reading it. Her wand rested next to the book.

"Easier than I expected" Hermione answered and a grin spread across her face. She shrugged. "I suppose if you can break into the Ministry once, you can break in again..."

Bellatrix nodded. "Obviously..."

"I just walked in. It's amazing to see how people don't pay attention. .." Hermione said and from her bag she took a smile phial. It contained several strands of curly, auburn hair and she carefully passed them to Bellatrix. The raven haired witch stared at the hairs. "These hairs belong to Cheryl Williamson. She's an Auror who deals with prisoners inside Azkaban. She is known for her interrogation skills. It is rumoured she can do things without a wand no one else can. I have left a message saying she will be interrogating Narcissa Malfoy in Azkaban tomorrow. But for the next two days or so, she will be locking herself in her house with the curtains shut... "

Bellatrix shook her head and looked at Hermione in shock. "You Imperiused her?"

"We can't have her turning up at the Ministry whilst she is supposed to be in Azkaban, right?" Hermione asked and looked at her lover. Bellatrix was still holding the phial and Hermione actually felt a sense of fulfilment. She feared having to face Narcissa but there was no way she was going to let Bellatrix go on her own. She needed to be at her side, even if meant having to face the cruel witch again.

They had been living in this house for a week now and when she had walked into the Ministry today she had realised the world had moved on since the fall of Voldemort. Kingsley Shacklebolt was now Minister of Magic and the horrible statue of the Muggles had been removed. Many of those who had associated with Voldemort's regime had been arrested and the Ministry held one of its biggest clear outs yet. But most of all, she had seen the posters with Harry's face on it. "Undesirable number 1" had been replaces by "The Boy Who Lived". But even more than that, she had heard people whisper and ask questions because no one knew what had happened to one third of the Golden Trio. No one knew where Hermione Granger was. And yet she was amongst them and no one noticed.

"We can wait till tomorrow, you know..." Hermione said softly as she watched Bellatrix twist the phial with the hairs in her hand. "We don't have to..."

"I don't want to wait..." Bellatrix said and stood up. "Do you have the potion?"

Hermione nodded slowly and took the second phial from her bag. She gave it to Bellatrix and she took the stopper out of it. A small plume of smoke circled into the air. Bellatrix slowly added one of the auburn hairs and the potion began to fizz. Yellowish foam had appeared at the rim of the phial and she pulled a face as she placed it against her lips. Hermione watched in anticipation as Bellatrix took a large gulp from the potion and then placed the stopper back into it.

Almost instantly, Bellatrix's hair became lighter and changed into a dark shade of auburn. It was still laced through with raven black, which made it look rather odd. She shot up two more inches and the curves of her body were reduced. Her arms and legs became slightly longer and her chest somewhat thinner. Her jumper seemed too loose and her jeans too short. The amount of curls falling down her face was reduced and her hair had become shorter, now only reaching just over her ears. The charcoal eyes had changed into ocean blue and her skin had become darker. Her face was oval shaped, with a cute little nose and some freckles on her cheeks.

"How do I look?" Bellatrix asked when the transformation was complete. She turned to Hermione, a smile lingering on her face. She brushed her hand through her thick curls and then looked down at her new body.

Hermione grinned at the auburn haired woman standing in the middle of the room. Watching Bellatrix transform into somebody else was an odd experience. She had used the potion so many times herself but somehow the effects just never ceased to amaze her. "I prefer you looking like yourself but you'll do for now..."

From her bag she took a set of witches' robes and threw them at Bellatrix. Her lover caught them and held them up in front of her, wrinkling her nose in disapproval. Hermione laughed. "Just put them on. I know its hideous but it's what Cheryl Williamson was wearing earlier today..."

"Eccentric to say the least..." Bellatrix said as she pulled the jumper over her head, revealing the body that lay hidden underneath. It drew a gasp from the other witch' throat and Hermione turned away, feeling uncomfortable. It wasn't Bellatrix she was looking at and she didn't want to look at another woman getting undressed. She walked out of the room and leant against the banister on the landing. As the minutes began to pass, the feeling in her chest tightened. She was terrified. She didn't want to face Narcissa again. She felt sick to her stomach and her nails dug into the soft wood. When Bellatrix, disguised as Cheryl, appeared from the bedroom, Hermione forced herself to smile.

"We have one hour... and we lost ten minutes already when you got changed..." Hermione said. "We'll probably lose twenty more to get from here to Azkaban which leaves you with thirty minutes to spare before you'll change back into yourself. The procedures at Azkaban are tight... They will check your wand..."

"My wand..." Bellatrix covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Hermione. The young witch still couldn't get used to seeing the raven haired woman in front of her. Especially since she sounded like Bellatrix. "I haven't..."

Hermione showed her a wand and smiled. "Yes, you do... The real Cheryl Williamson kindly gave it to me..." Bellatrix took it and leant in to kiss Hermione. The brunette moved away and pulled a face. "I know you're Bella but you don't look like her... It freaks me out..." She grabbed Bellatrix's arm. "Come on. We haven't got much time..."

They made their way down the stairs and fumbled around in the hall for a few moments. Hermione pocketed her own wand, put on her cloak instead of her coat and produced a cloak with the flick of her wand for Bellatrix. Darkness had fallen outside and Hermione opened the front door. She and Bellatrix stepped outside into the cool evening air and she heard Bellatrix take in a deep breath. The raven haired witch had been desperate to leave the house and the journey to Azkaban was the first time she had left the house in a week.

Hermione took Bellatrix's hand into her own and together they walked down the road, making sure to hide in the shadows lurking between the street lights. The yellow beams of light created strange shadows around them and Hermione's eyes nervously shot from house to house, hoping no one would see them leave together. Bellatrix was walking quickly, her boots echoing off the cobbled pavement. Hermione could feel her own heart pounding against her ribcage and she clutched Bellatrix's hand a little bit tighter. Her lover glanced at her every so often.

"This spot will do..." Hermione whispered once she and Bellatrix were standing in a small alleyway between two rows of houses. They had walked past the little church and its graveyard. It was an alleyway that some of the local youths used for their binge drinking sessions but tonight it was abandoned, mainly because it was still early. She knew not to return to this spot later tonight. She made sure she held Bellatrix tight and called up the image of the small dock that would ferry visitors from the shore to the prison in the middle of the North Sea. She had only ever seen pictures of it and used her memory to call up the dreary looking image.

The familiar feeling of Apparition washed over them and when they reopened her eyes, Hermione and Bellatrix found themselves standing by a small dock on a rocky shore. There was nothing there apart from a narrow wooden pier and a small shed, which Hermione realised, was a register. She nudged Bellatrix and leant in towards the auburn haired woman.

"You will have to sign us in. Cheryl Williamson and Hermione Granger, remember? Then they will take us on the boat and one of the Aurors will ferry us across to the prison..." Hermione whispered and Bellatrix slowly nodded. Hermione had seen how her lover's eyes had been fixed on something in the distance and she realised Bellatrix had not been back to Azkaban since the night she had escaped with the help of Voldemort. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Bellatrix answered and stalked over to the small shed. Hermione could just about see a tiny, blonde haired wizard behind the little window and he seemed to pipe up when Bellatrix, or Cheryl, approached. There was a conversation and Bellatrix had to sign something. She showed him her wand and it clear the blonde wizard was checking it briefly. Clearly he was satisfied because he gave it back to the auburn haired Auror and gestured towards the dock. Bellatrix looked over her shoulder and Hermione approached.

"Better hold on. Sea's a bit rough tonight..." spoke the wizard who would ferry them across to the prison. He had salt and pepper coloured hair and spoke with a strong Geordie accent. His clothes looked like they had seen better days and Hermione thought he smelled a bit like moth balls. He waved his wand and the chain came undone. He gave Bellatrix a hand as she climbed into the narrow, wooden boat and Hermione followed. The wizard shot her a curious look, obviously recognising her face, as the boat became to float away from the surface. "Hey, aren't you..."

"Don't ask questions that do not concern you..." Bellatrix barked and the wizard gulped, quickly averting his eyes and focusing on the sea ahead. "She is here to assist me and I do not wish for the whole world to know Miss Granger was here with me tonight. May I remind you I am a Ministry Official...?"

They sat silently side by side as the sea around them crashed against the fragile looking boat. The salty sea air penetrated her nose. It had really gone dark and the constant moving of the boat on the rough waves made Hermione feel sea sick. She clutched her head with her hands and attempted to steady herself. The bile was rising in the back of her throat and the taste of it was disgusting. She felt Bellatrix's hand on her knee but the gentle touch didn't do anything to make the horrible sickness go away. The wind had gotten stronger and was pulling at their hair. In the darkness, they couldn't make out where they were but it seemed their captain knew exactly where he was going. Hermione had noticed a small beacon of light in the distance and the tiny ball seemed to become brighter and brighter.

It turned out that the light was a beacon on a small dock. It was the beacon Hermione saw first, as she looked over the wizard's shoulder. And all of a sudden, the building just rose up from the dark depths of the sea. Hermione shivered. She had seen pictures of Azkaban before but the tall, grey brick building was even worse than the pictures she had seen. She felt and numb inside and nervously glanced beside her. If Bellatrix felt any discomfort, she was hiding it well. She sat with composure and strength, which was expected of an Auror. She knew there were no Dementors any longer but the mere thought of the hooded creatures was enough to make her heart freeze in her chest. Though Azkaban was no longer the place of horrors were prisoners were left trapped in their own minds, its past had tainted it beyond imagination.

"Rather you than me..." said the wizard when the chain wound itself around one of the pillars underneath the desk. He turned around and watched how Hermione and Bellatrix climbed out of the boat. Bellatrix ignored his comment but Hermione met his gaze. She could see the fear. "This place freaks me out... "

"Yeah well that makes two of us..." she muttered as a reply and took a deep breath.

They were greeted by two rather grumpy and unfriendly looking Aurors. She had never seen them before. The two men looked dark and Hermione wondered what they had done to be dumped on this rock island. She doubted they saw many visitors. The Aurors flanked both her and Bellatrix as they slowly walked their way across the dock and onto a narrow path. The wind pulled at Hermione's hair and she swallowed when they reached a heavy iron door. The Aurors still hadn't spoken and the one on the right waved his wand. The sound of a bolt being moved, scraping over the iron, followed and Hermione suppressed the desire to cover her ears.

"Wands..." growled one of the Aurors, extending a blistered and scarred hand and Hermione drew her wand from her sleeve. Bellatrix mimicked her action and passed her wand to the Auror. He performed a few simple spells before bending the two sticks between his fingers and seemed quickly satisfied that these were indeed the wands of Cheryl Williamson and Hermione Granger. He gave them back to their respective owner without making eye contact and picked up a clipboard before his eyes fixed on Bellatrix. "Which prisoner do you wish to see, Miss Williamson?"

"Malfoy... Narcissa Malfoy..." Bellatrix answered without emotion.

"Cell 34c" the Auror said and the metal gate separating them from the stone corridor in front of them slowly rolled up. The corridor was dimly lit and on either side were several metal doors with black numbers on them. Hermione glanced at Bellatrix. The journey had taken longer than they thought and they were rapidly running out of time. Bellatrix was aware of it too and she quickly began walking down the stone corridor, her eyes scanning the numbers on the door. She was walking ahead of Hermione and eventually, she froze. Her eyes had fixed on a number engraved into the door. She was standing outside cell 34c.

She aimed her wand at the lock but her hand trembled. Frustration could be read on her face. Hermione hurried towards her, covered Bellatrix's hand with her own and drew her wand. She muttered the incantation and the lock sprung open. Slowly, with her wand still drawn, she approached the door before slowly opening it. It creaked and she flinched at the sound. Behind it lay a dark cell, only lit by a dim light that magically hovered along the ceiling. It reminded her of the beacon at the dock. The floor and the walls were made out of stone and in the corner lay a dirty mattress with dirty sheets and a stained duvet. Through a crack in the wall some outside light fell inside.

Once her eyes had adapted to the darkness, they discovered the figure cowering in the corner. The fall from grace had been immense. There, on the stone cold floor, sat Narcissa Malfoy – wearing nothing more than her torn and dirty Azkaban rags. Her once so beautiful dark and blonde hair was now a mess, falling down the sides of her tired looking face. There was a dark smudge across her cheek and her dark eyes had sunken deeper into her head. But her head had whipped up when the door opened and now the look in her eyes suddenly changed. Slowly, she stood up and she approached Hermione.

Bellatrix brushed past Hermione and slammed the prison door shut behind her. As the metallic click of the lock told the three of them they were now alone, Bellatrix closed her eyes. The auburn hair began to grow and rapidly turned dark. Within seconds, the image of Cheryl Williamson was replaced by the real Bellatrix Lestrange and now her charcoal eyes fixed on her ragged looking sister. Narcissa's had become a mask of anger and hatred.

The corner's of Bellatrix mouth twitched. "Hello, sister dear..."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13**

Narcissa stared at the two people now standing in her cell. Hermione could see the hatred flicker in her dark eyes and automatically clutched her wand. Though Narcissa was outnumbered, Hermione had not forgotten what she was capable off. Her eyes shot from one sister to the other as they stood directly across each other. Bellatrix charcoal eyes had pierced into Narcissa's but her younger sister wasn't backing down from the intense gaze. Hermione could see the pulsating vein in Narcissa's neck and the anger was radiating of her body.

"If they catch you in here, they will lock you up and throw away the key..." Narcissa hissed and the corner of her mouth twitched before a demonic smile spread across her face. In the eerie, dim light of the cell she looked even more haunting than Hermione remembered. "You will die in here..."

"Like you?" Bellatrix retorted, causing her sister to briefly flinch. "And who said they will catch me in here? You for one aren't going to tell them. Who would believe the ranting and raving wife of a notorious Death Eater anyway? They would only think you've begun to lose your mind..."

Narcissa spat on the floor in front of Bellatrix's feet, much to Hermione's anger. She turned her back on her sister and walked away from her, towards the wall furthest away from the other two witches. There, she turned around and Hermione was suddenly hit by the sad contrast of this picture compared to one of the last images she had of Narcissa Malfoy – when she had pinned her up against one of the bookcases and her hands had trailed down her stomach and behind her jeans... Now she looked at the dark haired witch only to realise that she had not quite yet broken apart after her fall from grace.

"What do you want?" Narcissa barked unexpectedly and the sound of rattling chains echoed off the stone walls. Hermione's gaze dropped to the floor and she found a shackle, beside the mattress Narcissa was forced to call her bed. She wondered how many times the guards had had to restrain her if she flew into her rages of madness. She turned away when she recognised the dark stains on the floor as blood.

"To talk..." Bellatrix said slowly and approached her sister. Neither of them let their guard down and they circled each other like a predator would circle their prey. Hermione waited by the door. She was very much aware of the guards outside and if any of them would come to see how they were getting on, they only had a matter of seconds to give Bellatrix her second dose of Polyjuice Potion. But the footsteps of the guards were far away and Hermione's eyes were drawn back to Bellatrix.

"I have nothing to say to you. You are a disgrace!" Narcissa spat venomously and launched towards Bellatrix with outstretched hands. Before either Bellatrix or Hermione could react, her dirty, long nails had clawed at her older sister's skin and drops of burgundy blood began to trickle down Bellatrix's cheek. Narcissa never got a chance to do more damage because Bellatrix's wand now poked into the side of her neck and she forced her younger sister backwards against the wall. There, she stood mere inches from her face.

"_I_ am a disgrace?" Bellatrix whispered dangerously and Hermione wondered for a moment if Bellatrix was going to kiss her sister on the cheek in that taunting manner, like she had seen her do in the past. "And what would Father say if he knew his most prized possession, his beautiful little doll, was rotting away in this hellhole?"

Narcissa never once lost her composure. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and it was hard to tell who enjoyed the fight for power more. Because Hermione also recognised the distorted look in Bellatrix's eyes and in this split second she reminded her fully of the woman she had been when the spell was still in place. But the more she looked at Narcissa, the more she recognised the signs of madness and insanity she had once seen in Bellatrix. She was in every way the same demon her sister had been.

"You are unworthy, Bellatrix..." Narcissa sneered and she stretched her neck. Automatically, the tip of Bellatrix's wand pressed a little deeper into her skin and Narcissa smirked. She almost seemed to be enjoying the physical pain and Hermione suspected it was the first thing she had actually felt since being locked up in Azkaban. Narcissa's dark eyes snapped up and from over Bellatrix's shoulder she now stared at Hermione. Contempt and disapproval flickered in her eyes. "Associating with Mudbloods..."

"Whatever happened to you, Cissy?" Bellatrix asked and Hermione recognised the sadness in her voice. "Not even I dared to believe you would... fall... "

She lowered her wand and stepped back, as if she had suddenly realised what she was doing. Bellatrix looked slightly defeated as she looked at her younger sister. No longer was she the beautiful woman who had once been queen in her own kingdom. Who had everything she could have ever wanted. And who now stood before her in torn rags and her hair covered in dust and dirt. Nothing about the woman in front of her reminded her of the sister she thought she had known.

"You just never saw the truth, Bella..." Narcissa whispered softly and she moved away from the wall, walked around her sister and approached Hermione. She did not dare come as close and Hermione quickly raised her wand. Narcissa merely smirked before she spun around to face her sister. "The Dark Lord never favoured you..."

"We both know he did. He favoured me more than anyone else..." Bellatrix answered in defence and her hand trembled. Somehow it seemed unnatural to raise her own wand at her sister but Narcissa left her no choice. "And you knew... You knew all along about what Father had done and you never told me. Why, Cissy?" Tears glistened in charcoal eyes. "_Why_?"

There was a silence. Narcissa had no answer to the question. She merely walked around her cell, her bare feet no longer feeling the cold from the stone floor. She reached the part of the wall with the small crack and her fingers traced the outline, as if desperate to remember what fresh air and a free world felt like. She didn't turn around to look at her sister.

"Everything you are is a lie, Bellatrix. Your whole life has always been a lie..." Narcissa slowly turned and her eyes darted from Bellatrix to Hermione. "Who is to say what you are now is what you were meant to be?"

Hermione frowned. Was Narcissa trying to say that even now that the spell had lifted, Bellatrix was still not the woman she was supposed to have been? She stepped towards Narcissa, her wand directed at her heart. "You lying, deceitful bitch..."

"You didn't say that when I touched you the last time..." Narcissa cruelly reminded Hermione and the young brunette fell silent. Her throat became dry and her chest tightened. "What has my sister been doing to you? Been whispering in your ear that she loves you? Don't you ever forget what she used to be, you filthy little Mudblood... It doesn't matter how many times she washes her hands, the blood will always be there. And don't you ever forget how she left you to die in that cold room. Do you still remember the taste of your own blood? Her past will always be part of her future..." Narcissa paused and her eyes looked up to Bellatrix. "No spell can undo destiny..."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Bellatrix asked and Hermione could sense the genuine hurt in her voice. "Not even when we were children... you knew all along what waited ahead of me. And when they left me here, between these walls, to die alone and forgotten... you still did nothing..."

"Because if I had helped you, it would have been me!" The spell would have broken and moved onto me!" Narcissa shrieked and her high pitched voice echoed off the walls.

Hermione automatically turned towards the door and peered out of the window. Narcissa's shriek had alerted the guards and she could see them abandoning their rounds and hurry towards Narcissa's cell. Her hand automatically slipped into her pocket and she took out the phial of Polyjuice Potion.

"Bella! They're coming...!" she urged and hurried towards her, already having taken the stopper out of the bottle. Bellatrix took it but did not place it against her lips immediately. Her eyes were fixed on her sister. Once again, they shared a look that went deeper than Hermione could even begin to imagine. She grasped her lover's arm and shook it. "BELLA! Drink it...NOW!"

And Bellatrix took a large gulp from the potion and the effects were instant. Before Narcissa's eyes her sister transformed back into the Auror Cheryl Williamson and she stepped back, her wand no longer aiming at Narcissa's chest. Narcissa stared at the woman she knew was her sister and in her eyes, somewhere deep down below, something changed.

And she cowered away when the door was opened and the guards appeared, with their wands drawn. To her horror, Hermione watched how the guards brushed past Bellatrix, or Cheryl, and each grabbed one of Narcissa's arms and lifted her up. Bellatrix turned away. She looked broken and her eyes searched for Hermione's. Narcissa did not kick or scream as they put her down on her mattress and the shackle closed itself around her ankle. As it did, Hermione spotted the raw, red scarring on Narcissa's flesh. Cruel, cold reminders of how she had attempted to free herself from her restraints. The horrific metallic sound as the shackle closed itself echoed through the cell even after the guards had left.

"Doesn't madness run in the family?" Narcissa questioned from her seated position on the floor. She picked up the chain attached to the shackle around her ankle and rattled it. It was a haunting sound. Her eyes searched for Bellatrix's, though they now belonged to Cheryl. "Sound familiar?"

Bellatrix shook her head. "You are not the same Narcissa who used to crawl into my bed, afraid of the thunder and the lightning. Even in the moments of intense darkness, I still had hope for you. Whatever happened?"

Narcissa looked at Bellatrix. "_You_ happened, Bella. Have you never wondered why I never once said a word? Because I knew I could not carry my destiny the same way you carried yours. I lacked your strength, I lacked your energy. I knew I could never be as good as you. I would be a poor replacement. And I knew I could never carry the burden of that shame... So I left you..."

"You left me a slave to the Dark Lord without a mind of my own, without a heart to decide... And you watched how my soul got broken and my mind destroyed..." Bellatrix spoke with a trembling voice. She shook her head. "The fall from grace must have been without mercy, Cissy. Look what became of you now..."

Narcissa's eyes glistened but it was not with tears. She looked pale and broken in the dim light and she brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She managed the gesture with grace and pride and was it not for her broken image. Hermione would have said she was doing it elegantly. "Look what became of _me_? Who is the one sleeping beside a Mudblood? I should have said something, Bella. Because perhaps I would have been a better servant after all..."

Bellatrix cocked her head. "You would have died, Narcissa. And we both know it..."

Narcissa gestured around her cell. Her face was strangely emotionless. Whatever there had lingered in her eyes when she spoke earlier was gone. She was but an empty shell. "And now I am going to die in here. What difference does it make?"

Bellatrix turned away from her sister and looked at Hermione. "We should leave. Time is running out..."

Hermione nodded and aimed her wand at the door. It opened and she was the first one to leave the cold, dark cell. Stepping back into the somewhat brighter corridor, Hermione felt a cold shiver creep up and down her spine. She turned in the open door to see Bellatrix hesitating before stepping out of the cell. Her eyes wandered along the walls, the ceiling and eventually the door. And Hermione knew she remembered. She remembered every day, every night, she had spent in here. And now she left her sister behind in this hellhole.

"You are a disgrace, Bellatrix Black..." hissed Narcissa, loud enough for both Hermione and Bellatrix to hear. "And you will never be free..."

Bellatrix stepped out of the cell and slammed the door shut behind her. The almighty bang echoed along the corridors and startled the guards at the end of the hall. It even woke some of the prisoners in their cells and haunting screams now rose from behind metal doors. Bellatrix took a deep breath and looked at Hermione. She needn't speak. The younger witch understood.

"You're done with her then?" asked one of the guards as they stalked over to them. He shot a glance at Hermione and she could see recognition in his eyes.

"Yes. For now, anyway..." Bellatrix answered and straightened her back, raising herself to her full figure. "It's been a long day. Please, when is she due in court?"

"Next month" the guard growled whilst his colleagues went around casting Silencing Charms on the cell doors. The screaming voices slowly died away. "She is due the same day as her husband. Her brothers in law will go the week before. They might as well just put them all together. No one expects them to get anything less than a life sentence..."

"And still no sign of her sister..." Bellatrix said calmly and the guard flinched at the mention of Bellatrix.

His eyes wandered around the corridor and came to rest on a cell door across from Narcissa's. "One crazy lunatic in this cell block is more than enough. I remember Bellatrix Lestrange. Day and night her screaming went on. Not a single Silencing Charm could shut her up. I can still hear her voice, screaming her devotion to the Dark Lord. She is the only person I know who never seemed to suffer her worst nightmares between these walls..."

Bellatrix shook her head and briefly met the guard's gaze. "They _all_ have nightmares in here. Even Bellatrix..."

She then turned to Hermione and the two of them slowly left the corridor behind. When the gate closed behind them, Hermione could still hear the sound of rattling chains. She swallowed the bile in the back of her throat away and greeted the fresh air outside with a smile. She turned to Bellatrix, who seemed quiet and subdued and briefly reached for her hand. They made their way back across the dock and met the wizard who had ferried them across. He helped Bellatrix get into the small boat before assisting Hermione and they sat down, side by side. Slowly, the boat began to make its way across the rough ocean and Hermione looked over her shoulder. The image of Azkaban rising from the depths of the sea disappeared in shrouds of mist and after a few minutes, it was gone. All she could see was the light beacon on the dock and the irony struck her. Azkaban knew no beacon of light.

"Are you all right?" she whispered when she looked back beside her. Bellatrix had been staring at the floor of the boat, with her hands in her lap.

"I..." Bellatrix started and looked up. She shook her head. "I don't know..."

"That was not the Narcissa that you knew..." Hermione whispered softly and briefly rested her hand on Bellatrix's knee.

Bellatrix glanced over her shoulder. Azkaban had disappeared in the mist. "I don't think I ever knew her at all..."

~()~

They had arrived safe and sound at the small dock and Bellatrix had spoken to the wizard in the shed, or office. Hermione had waited like she had done when they arrived and now the two of them were ready to Disapparate. They only had a few minutes left until the Potion wore off and Hermione took Bellatrix's hand into her own before calling up the image of her own street. The familiar sensation of Apparition took control and when she opened her eyes she was standing in a quiet side street not far from her parents' house. She glanced at Bellatrix and noticed that the Potion had almost worn off.

"You're back..." Hermione whispered and brushed a curl out of Bellatrix's face. Her fingers brushed against her cheek and she smiled.

"Can we... walk for awhile?" Bellatrix asked softly and looked at Hermione. Her hand slipped into Hermione's and she squeezed it softly. "I don't know if I want to go home just yet..."

"Of course" Hermione answered with a smile. "Whatever you want..."

So instead of walking towards the house, Hermione and Bellatrix walked towards the small church and cemetery they had passed on their way out tonight. Ever since she was young, Hermione would come here at night. It had been her escape. No one else ever came here. No one had a reason to. The cemetery was no longer in use and it was riddled with old tombs, headstones and several old oak trees. There had always been something strangely calming and soothing about walking over a cemetery. She enjoyed it most in autumn and winter, when the grounds were littered with leaves and the tombstones dusted with snow.

"What are you thinking?" Hermione whispered as she and Bellatrix walked along one of the narrow paths between the graves, leading deeper into the cemetery. Bellatrix had not said anything for the past ten minutes and her eyes had been fixed on the floor. Most of her face went hidden behind her black curls but now that Hermione spoke, she looked up.

"The last thing Narcissa said before we left..." Bellatrix answered and stood still beside an old tomb. Her hand rested on the cold stone and she looked at Hermione. "About me never being able to be free..." She made a gesture around herself. "Is this what it is going to be like? Wandering around cemeteries at night because I cannot be out in the daytime?"

Hermione sighed and stepped towards Bellatrix. Her arms slipped around the older woman's waist and she pulled her closer until their bodies rested against each other. She looked up and kissed Bellatrix on her forehead. "We will find a way, I promise..."

"I remembered, Hermione. I remembered everything..." Bellatrix whispered and a lonely tear trickled down her cheek. "I remember why they locked me into Azkaban in the first place and I deserved to be there. Part of me still deserves to be there. I could feel it, deep inside, when Narcissa looked at me. The anger and the hatred... the devotion..."

"But not to him. You felt devotion towards her..." Hermione said quickly and Bellatrix shook her head.

"In that moment, I didn't know what I felt..." She turned away and sighed. "I don't get you, Hermione. Why did you do all of this? Why did you come back to the Manor after what I had done to you? And why did you keep coming back... Why are you still here...?"

"Because I could see the real you..." Hermione whispered. "Because in those few seconds I saw a different person. And she kept coming out. And I know you are thinking of what Narcissa said. About how you hurt me and left me to die in that room. But you didn't, Bella. You came back for me... And you let me go. Doesn't that mean anything to you? It were those moments that drew me to you. Those small fragments of time that showed me... There is a you I can love...And I do... love you..."

Bellatrix slowly turned. "What?"

"I love you, Bellatrix..." Hermione said and swallowed. Tears had welled up in her eyes. She stepped towards the raven haired witch and took her hand into her own. It seemed to fit so perfectly. They were still strangers to each other and yet Hermione felt she knew Bellatrix better than anybody else had ever known her. "Call it what you like. Crazy, insane and completely demented perhaps..."

"I'd call it wonderful..." Bellatrix smiled and softly pressed her lips against Hermione's. Her eyes fluttered shut as the young brunette ran her fingers through her curls. Bellatrix's arms wrapped around Hermione's waist and she pulled her closer, until their bodies connected again. "Just wonderful..."

When they broke apart, Hermione rested her forehead against Bellatrix's and smiled. "We'll get there, Bella. I know we will..."


	15. Chapter 15

The reviews just keep on coming. I don't know what to say... I am starting work again this weekend and next week I am afraid the updates might become a litle less frequent. But thank you all for reading so far!

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**Chapter 14**

"Are you sure about this, love?"

Bellatrix looked at Hermione with a nervous expression on her face. Hermione had just put on her travelling cloak and was fidgeting with one of the sleeves. Underneath it she was wearing a pair of jeans, black boots and a floral t-shirt. Her brown curls fell down her shoulders and she stored her wand up her sleeve. She had reached for the door handle but turned around now that Bellatrix called from the open door of the living room. Hermione smiled and met her lover's eyes.

"If I don't do this, we will never be able to have a future together..." she answered softly and walked across the hall to Bellatrix and kissed her on the lips. She wanted to pull away quickly but Bellatrix didn't let her go. Instead she pulled her into a deeper, more passionate kiss that left both of them panting when they broke apart. Hermione took a deep breath in, as if to remember Bellatrix's sweet scent while she was away and let a black curl run through her fingers. "I will be back by the end of the day and then maybe... maybe tomorrow... we can go out. Together. To London..."

"I'd like that..." Bellatrix whispered and pressed her lips tenderly on Hermione's neck. She smiled against the contact. It reminded her of how they had woken up this morning, with the sunlight reflecting in Hermione's eyes, and how she had managed to prevent Hermione from leaving the bed by keeping her otherwise occupied... "Just be careful..."

"I will be, don't worry. When have you ever known me to do something stupid?" Hermione answered and briefly took hold of Bellatrix's hand. The dark witch pulled a face at those last words and Hermione smirked. "I'd take you with me if I didn't think they'd arrest you immediately and find you a double cell with Narcissa..."

"Now that would be a sight I'd like to see" Bellatrix added and grinned at the idea of having to share a cell with her sister. She leant against the doorframe. She had grown used to being in this house but the prospect of being able to leave without having to take Polyjuice Potion made her heart leap in joy. "There was a time I would associate the word 'deranged' with me, not my youngest sister. It would seem our roles in live have reversed themselves"

Hermione pecked Bellatrix on the cheek and walked to the front door. "If I don't go now, I will miss my appointment with head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement"

She stepped outside and closed the front door behind her. Her eyes darted across the quiet road, making sure none of the neighbours saw her leave. She had no idea what they were thinking by now. The only times she and Bellatrix ever went out together was at night time, when they could hide in the shadows. In the daytime, Hermione could only ever go out alone as the Aurors were still looking for Bellatrix and many people were eager to see her end up in Azkaban with her sister. But all of that was about t change. Or she hoped it was.

After their visit to Azkaban last night, they had talked most of the night about what the future would hold and the only way for anything to change was for Hermione to meet someone at the Ministry and to tell them what had happened. And after that, she could only hope they would believe her. She was prepared for everything. She expected them to say she had been Imperiused or otherwise jinxed. She even guessed they would commit her to St Mungo's. But the one thing she wasn't quite prepared for was for people to believe her.

Hermione arrived at the usual Apparating spot in the narrow alleyway between the houses and she turned on the spot, calling up the image of the Ministry of Magic in her head. She remembered the visitor's entrance was the same as the entrance they used to enter the Ministry of Magic when they broke into the Department of Mysteries whilst looking for what turned out to be the Prophecy about Harry and Voldemort.

She focused on the image of the broken down red telephone box, not having to dig deep to find the memory, and when she reopened her eyes, found herself standing right beside the box in the city centre of London. The street was rather dingy and almost empty, as most office workers had already made it to work. The surrounding buildings looked like they could do with some tender, love and care and more graffiti had appeared on the walls since her last visit. Hermione stepped into the box. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she took a few deep breaths before dialling the number to enter the Ministry; 6-24-4-2 or MAGIC.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state the nature of your visit"

Hermione looked up. The witch's voice seemed to come out of the air and she smiled. At least some things hadn't quite changed. It was the same as the last time she stood in this box, though last time she was with friends and now she was alone.

"Hermione Granger. I am here to meet with Alcott Leonato, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement..."

There was the sound of coins landing into a metal tray but when Hermione turned to the tray where coins were normally dispersed, there was no money but there was a silver badge. Hermione picked it up, looked at it and then pinned it on her cloak. At that same moment, the phone booth moved down and she held on as she descended down to what she knew would be the Atrium. The door slid open and she stepped out into the hustle and bustle of the Ministry of Magic. She stood still for a moment as around her the endless crowds moved. Witches, wizards, visitors, goblins... It was like it had always been. She turned slightly to find there was no impressive banner of Kingsley Shacklebolt looking out over them all. A smile spread across her face. Kingsley had more class and style like that.

To her left, one of the fireplaces roared up green and a wizard appeared. He was still talking to himself and continued on his way whilst clutching a cauldron. Hermione stared at the fireplaces for a moment and remembered how she, Harry and Ron had only just managed to escape, with Yaxley on their heels, after they had taken the locket from Dolores Umbridge. More witches and wizards emerged from roaring green flames and Hermione slowly joined the crowds as they made their way towards the elevators. Hermione looked up to the ceiling. Kingsley had restored it to its original peacock blue with the golden symbols moving across it. When she looked back ahead she held still again. There, in the middle of the Atrium, stood The Fountain of Magical Brethren. Hermione smiled to herself. The fountain was actually a group of golden statues, depicting a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf, spouting water into the surrounding pool.

Hermione then made her way to the end of the Atrium and found that Eric Munch was still on duty. She drew her wand from her sleeve as she approached the badly shaven wizard, some things never changed, and handed him her wand. He inspected it first without looking up but when his eyes travelled up and met hers, a smile spread across his face. He looked older than Hermione remembered and she wondered if he had suffered in the war.

"Miss Granger, how lovely to see you once again..." he said with his usual croaky voice and gave her back her wand. His eyes darted to the badge. He arched an eyebrow when he saw whom she had come to see. "Department of Magical Law Enforcement... Looking for a job, are we?"

"Something like that" Hermione answered and stored her wand away. She sent him another smile. "I hope I find you well?"

"The usual" Eric answered whilst his eyes scanned the row of visitors that had formed behind Hermione. "Not getting any younger. Ah well, I wish you all the best Miss Granger and I expect I will be seeing you around soon enough. They would be stupid not to hire such a clever witch like yourself"

Hermione walked through the gate and then waited for a lift to be available. As she stood there, looking at people going on their way, she was constantly reminded of her adventures here several months ago and the feeling only increased when she discovered the real Mafalda Hopkirk amongst the faces. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was on level two and judging from the witches and wizards around her, she wasn't the only one heading that way. She stepped into the lift with all of them and pulled up her nose when someone smelled like they had spent too much time around Blastended Skrewts.

When the lift came to a stop at level two, Hermione stepped out and followed the witches and wizards who walked into the department. Several interdepartmental memo's, in all sorts of bright colours, were whizzing over her head in various directions and landed on various desks or hovered outside of doors. She walked onto the department floor to find several doors and desks. In the middle of the room, almost like sort of bull pen, were various desks and people were working through paperwork. It was quiet, apart from the occasional whispering. There were several doors that seemed to lead to various offices and doors and Hermione nervously looked around, hoping to find a sign that would direct her to the office of the Alcott Leonato.

"Miss Granger, how may I help you?"

Hermione turned and found a witch, about her mother's age, standing beside her. She was dressed in burgundy red robes and had white hair. She smiled friendly and Hermione thought to herself that this woman would be perfect client for her parents' dentistry profession.

"I am here to meet with Alcott Leonato" Hermione answered politely, forcing herself not to stare at the teeth that would even make those of an inmate in Azkaban look attractive. "But I am afraid I don't know where his office is..."

"Follow me" the witch answered and Hermione followed her through the centre of the room, past various desks and towards a heavy wooden door. She could feel people stare at her and she knew it was because no one had seen her since the fall of Voldemort and people had been speculating about her whereabouts. No doubt her presence would soon be known through the whole Ministry. The witch turned around after having knocked, sent Hermione another smile and Hermione waited for someone to call her in.

"Enter" called a man's voice from the other side and Hermione opened the door. She stepped inside, closed the door and then turned to face the person sitting behind the desk. Alcott Leonato was a man in his mid forties. His hair was receding slightly and bit of grey had appeared. Somehow it gave him charisma. He had an aura of kindness and warmth, something she had not expected from the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. His eyes were dark shade of green and he stood up from his chair to shake her hand before offering her a seat.

"Miss Granger..." said Leonato and Hermione produced a smile as she folded her hands in her lap. "I dare say I was surprised to receive your owl so early this morning. Either you do not sleep or you were desperate to see me..."

"This morning, I am afraid it was both" Hermione answered and took a deep breath. "And I am aware people have been questioning my whereabouts. Undoubtedly the stories will have reached the Ministry within the last few days..."

"I have heard rumours, yes" Alcott Leonato answered and Hermione appreciated he did not tell her what those rumours were. She felt a sense of liking towards the man. Her eyes darted to his left hand. A gold wedding ring sat on his finger. Somehow that did not surprise her. He struck her as the kind of man who would take his son fishing or his daughter to ballet lessons. "But rumours are always based on speculation and people's inability to be credible... I prefer to speak to the person themselves before creating an opinion"

"Thank you" Hermione said kindly. "The reason for my absence however has nothing to do with relationship issues relating to either Mr Potter or Mr Weasley..." With hat commented she inferred she had read the stories in the Daily Prophet and Alcott Leonato nodded. "It has, however, got everything to do with a witch by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange..."

"The one that got away..." Leonato said painfully slowly and his green eyes fixed on Hermione. She could see the hint of curiosity. "I fail to see how your absence could possibly have anything to do with Bellatrix Lestrange, Miss Granger. Please, do enlighten me"

"If I told you that a soul had been bought many years ago, with very dark magic, and had been kept prisoner for all these years only to do its master's bidding..." Hermione began and leant forward. "What would you say?"

Alcott Leonato seemed to think about that question for a moment. His green eyes narrowed. "I'd say someone has had a very rotten life..."

Hermione nodded. "Indeed. And what if I told you Cygnus Black made a deal with the devil? That devil being Lord Voldemort himself. In order for him to leave his side, he was to give up his first born child. Only then was he allowed to leave. The child was to be raised to become Voldemort's one true follower. A lieutenant who would never fail. Someone with a bloodlust that could not be matched by any other..." She paused and carefully read the expression on Alcott Leonato's face. "That child was Bellatrix Black..."

"Cygnus Black sold his own child to the Dark Lord?" Leonato asked in disbelief. "I never met Cygnus Black myself, he passed away several years ago, but my father met the man on several occasions. From what I heard he was a strict man, with strong principles. Oh he was judgmental, yes. Not a fan of Muggle borns and Half Bloods either... But to sell his own child..."

Hermione sat back in her seat and pressed her fingertips together. A trait she had copied from the late Albus Dumbledore. Her eyes were fixed on Alcott Leonato and she cocked her head. "There are many sides of people we never get to see. No doubt Cygnus Black was the same. I dare say he never spoke of his liaisons with the Dark Lord either. But yes, he promised Voldemort his first born child and so Bellatrix was born to be nothing more but a slave to the Dark Lord. The spell she was under was so powerful it could only be broken with Voldemort's death. Not even his earlier destruction tarnished the influence he had on her. She was left in Azkaban and when Voldemort regained his power, the spell regained its original strength. And it wasn't until..."

"Yourself, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley began destroying Horcruxes..." Leonato interjected and Hermione's eyes widened. He continued. "I spoke to both Mr Potter and Mr Weasley in the days after the Battle, Miss Granger. They have been very helpful in our search for Death Eaters and those who associated with them..."

"Figures" Hermione muttered under her breath. She looked up and thought about her words before she spoke again. So far she had sensed nothing of disbelief but she wasn't sure whether she could trust Alcott Leonato. "I assume it was Mr Potter who led you to the Malfoys?"

"Yes. And with them we found the Lestrange brothers as well but Bellatrix was not amongst them. Not even under questioning did any of them reveal her whereabouts. They claimed they didn't know..."

"That's because they really didn't know" Hermione answered and now Leonato sat up in his chair and it was his turn to stare at her intently. "Neither the Malfoys nor the Lestranges know where Bellatrix is. No one does..."

"You said the spell regained its strength until you began to destroy the Horcruxes..." Leonato brought them back to her original story and Hermione slowly nodded.

"Yes. With the destruction of the Horcruxes, and Voldemort's soul, the impact of the spell began to fade. Basically, it fell apart and crumbled. During certain moment's, the captive soul had a chance to free itself and realise it was doing. It was being oppressed by the spell and the realisation caused great anxiety and stress. As more Horcruxes were destroyed, an internal battle erupted between the magical seal and the original soul, leaving the host close to death. When the final Horcrux was destroyed and Voldemort subsequently killed, the trapped soul was freed. The charm had lifted..."

There was a silence and Alcott Leonato stared at Hermione was if she was an interesting specimen he had never seen before. She could see shock and curiosity in his eyes and the beating of her heart was so loud she would swear he could hear it. For what felt like an eternity, but was in fact mere seconds, he didn't move or blink.

"So you claim that Bellatrix Lestrange acted under the influence of Lord Voldemort for all these years? Like an Imperius Curse but worse?" Leonato slowly questioned. A glass of water had magically appeared in front of him and he sipped from it. His hands were shaking.

"A lot worse" Hermione answered slowly and closed her eyes when she remembered Bellatrix in the Forest of Dean, whimpering in pain as she clawed at her burning skin. The memory still hurt. "Whenever a piece of Voldemort died, or even when her own soul found a way to show itself, she experienced immense pain that left her skin burning. To her it will have felt like someone reached deep inside her, set her alight and ripped her to pieces..."

"Miss Granger, I have been told you are an exceptionally clever witch but this story is just too... impossible to be even closely considered the truth..." Leonato said, without breaking eye contact. "And how do you know..."

"No one said she is innocent of the crimes she has committed in the past. All I am asking is your consideration that when she committed those crimes, she wasn't her true self. The real Bellatrix laughs at every joke I tell her and feels intense guilt over things she has done in the past whilst she had no control over them. If the Imperius Curse makes you understand then so be it. Yes, you can consider she was Imperiused but where an Imperius Curse can be lifted and detected, the charm she was under could not. From the day she was born, as a baby, she never had a chance. She never even had a single day where she could make up her mind of her own..." Hermione said and tears had welled up in her eyes. "She never had a single chance..."

"Miss Granger, who told you the story about her father? Surely if Bellatrix Lestrange was cursed, she did not know this herself?" Leonato asked with a restricted voice. Whether he was hiding his sadness or his disbelief and contempt, Hermione could not say.

"Bellatrix's sister. _Narcissa_... Narcissa Malfoy..." Hermione answered through gritted teeth. "You can ask her yourself. You may even find records saying I saw Narcissa Malfoy myself last night. No doubt Mr Potter and Mr Weasley have told you how Bellatrix Lestrange supposedly kidnapped me back to Malfoy Manor..." Alcott Leonato nodded and Hermione groaned. "

Well, she never did. I went back because I knew there was something going on. And yes, they held me prisoner and things happened between those walls I do not even dare speak out loud. But Bellatrix set me free. She let me go. And her sister..." Hermione felt the angry tears seep through her eyelashes and she forced herself to look at the man across the desk. "Her sister knew all along and never said a word. Narcissa Malfoy would have rather let her die than speak the truth..."

"Even if you speak the truth, Miss Granger, no matter how unlikely... how am I ever supposed to verify your story? How can I ever believe you?" Alcott Leonato asked. He seemed touched by her tears. Hermione guessed they made him uncomfortable.

She swallowed and brushed the tears away. "The fact you are asking me to proof it to you tells me you believe me, somewhere deep down... Like you said, I am a smart witch. What would I have to gain from telling you this?"

"People will say you have been Imperiused or put under some other dark spell..." Leonato began and Hermione sat up. This was exactly what she had been expecting. "They will say you went mad after the Battle and they will lock you up in St Mungo's, or worse, Azkaban..."

Hermione nodded. "All those things I have thought of for myself... But all I ask of you is that when you see Narcissa Malfoy in court next month, is that you ask her about what I told you. Ask her to tell you the truth and she will... And then, you will know I did not lie..."

She stood up and drew her wand from her sleeve. For a moment, Alcott Leonato flinched but Hermione did not aim it at him. She placed it against her temple and a pained expression appeared in her eyes. When she withdrew her wand, a silver string was dangling of its tip. "But I cannot wait that long, Mr Leonato. My words are the truth and it is not only my life that these words have impacted..." She showed him the silver string and he recognised it immediately.

"Since this is the Ministry of Magic, I assume you have a Pensieve around here?"

~()~

He had summoned for a Pensieve to be delivered immediately, much to the confusion of the young intern who had brought it, and Hermione slowly let her memory slip into the silver dish. She looked at the surface of the water as Bellatrix's face began to form and then she slowly stepped back to make room for Leonato. He shot her another glance, looking a bit apprehensive perhaps, before slowly leaning over the dish, his nose eventually touching the surface. There was nothing else she could do and so Hermione watched as he hovered like this for the next ten minutes and she knew that before him the memories were unfolding. He would see them like she remembered them. The images, raw and painful like she had known them, that would tell him the truth. And all she could do was wait and hope that her gamble had paid off.

After about ten minutes Alcott Leonato lifted up his head but his hands still rested on the sides of the Pensieve. Even from the side, Hermione could see the painful expression in his eyes and she took a deep breath. It was as if he suddenly became aware she was still there and he turned to face her.

"Miss Granger..." his voice broke for a moment and Hermione couldn't help but give him a dark glance. "The developments of the events are... interesting... to say the least"

She cocked her head. "I did not come here to have someone tell me what they just learned is interesting, sir..."

He nodded and made his way back to his seat. Hermione followed and sat back down as well.

"The Auror Office will no longer make it there priority to capture and imprison Bellatrix Lestrange" he said as he flicked through various pages and dipped a quill into the ink pot. Hermione perked up. He couldn't make eye contact with her and Hermione knew he felt too disturbed by what he had seen. Her heart hammered in her chest as she looked at the papers he was signing. "In fact, her capture and imprisonment can no longer be justified..."

She nodded. "Thank you, sir"

Alcott Leonato looked up and finally met her eyes. She could see how some of the images had freaked him out. "How do you do it, Miss Granger?"

"Do what?" she questioned, not quite understanding what he meant.

He gestured towards the Pensieve. Its surface had gone still. There were no more faces or images floating around. "Live with some of those images"

Hermione swallowed. "Because I have no choice. And because I love the woman who gave them to me"

"These papers will be sent to the Auror Office. From this moment on, they are no longer to look for Bellatrix Lestrange. I shall speak to them personally and explain the situation. Also, this information can still make the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet if I hurry so by night time, everybody will know the truth..." said Leonato and stood up from behind his desk. Hermione followed. "And when Narcissa Malfoy is due in court, I shall ask her. The truth from her mouth will forever clear Bellatrix's name..."

"I doubt that will ever be possible but she deserves a chance. Even if it's just for once in her life..." Hermione answered with a kind nod and made her way to the door. She turned with the door knob in her hand when Alcott Leonato called her back. She met his gaze.

"Good luck, Miss Granger..." he said kindly and he briefly smiled. "To both of you..."


	16. Chapter 16

A short chapter, not much happening either but it is the onset for the next few chapters. No iea when I can finish them - with Christmas and work coming up I am rather busy at the moment.

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**Chapter 15**

Alcott Leonato had not lied. When the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet was delivered by a tawny owl, the first thing Hermione spotted was a massive picture of Bellatrix on the cover. Above it was a bold printed headline. **CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES; Bellatrix Lestrange no longer on the wanted list. See page 2 and 3**. Hermione dropped the paper onto the coffee table and just fell down on the sofa, resting her head in her hands. She hadn't even dared to believe she would be successful and now here was the proof. In one afternoon she had managed to proof to the Ministry that Bellatrix did not deserve to be hunted down and locked away.

"What's wrong?" Bellatrix asked as she came walking into the living room. She had taken a load of clean laundry upstairs and when she walked around to the table to sit down her eye fell on the paper. Hermione had told her everything that had happened at the Ministry, word for word, and they had both waited in anticipation for the paper to arrive. And here it was. And it seemed the Ministry had tried to clear her up too. The picture was old; it had been taken when she was first arrested. Her face wasn't as pale and her eyes had not sunken back as far. Her hair was still beautiful and with shaking hands Bellatrix picked up the paper.

"You did it..." Bellatrix whispered and looked at Hermione, who still sat with her head in her hands. She put the paper down and placed a hand on Hermione's arm. "Hermione, what is it?"

"I... I just never thought I would do it..." Hermione whispered and looked up. "I never expected him to believe me. And he did. And then I didn't expect me to keep his word and... He did..." She gestured at the paper. "And now look at this... You're free, Bella. You are given a chance..."

"A chance I would never have had if it weren't for you" Bellatrix whispered and she took both of Hermione's hands into her own. The younger brunette looked at her and their gazes locked. A little smile spread across Bellatrix's face when she pressed her lips against Hermione's. "You gave me a whole new life, Hermione. I owe everything to you..."

Hermione smiled into the kiss and her hands slipped out of Bellatrix's and up her arms, into her neck and she pulled her closer into the kiss until she tumbled backwards on the sofa, pulling the raven haired witch on top of her. She looked up to Bellatrix before capturing her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbling on it for a few seconds. A naughty twinkle ignited in her eyes. Bellatrix groaned in pleasure and her hands slipped down to Hermione's waist before sliding up under her floral shirt, cherishing her stomach. Her hands were warm against Hermione's soft flesh. She leant in further and her lips came crashing down on Hermione's.

Hermione's hands ran through Bellatrix's raven hair before slowly trailing down to the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head, revealing the milky skin underneath. Nails tenderly scratched along her spine and down her arms, causing Bellatrix to moan into their kiss. The dark haired witch pressed her knee between Hermione's legs and pressed down against her core. Hermione arched her back and pressed her pelvis against her lover's leg.

"I love you..." Bellatrix breathed into Hermione's ear as she helped her take off her shirt. Her soft, warm lips kissed down the pulsating vein in her neck down to her collarbone, the valley between her breasts, her fingers cupping the swell through the laced bra, before kissing lower down to her stomach. She grinned playfully when she reached Hermione's jeans and slowly unbuttoned them. Hermione raised her hips to allow Bellatrix to peel the fabric down her legs and they gave into a moment of love, passion and pure intensity.

An hour later they lay wrapped up in each other's arms and one of the blankets that normally lay over the back of the sofa. Hermione's head rested on Bellatrix's shoulder and the raven haired witch was drawing all sorts of figures and shapes on Hermione's arm with her finger. Their clothes and wands lay scattered over the floor, a sock unceremoniously draped over a candle in the middle of the table, and it told a silent story of when passion had taken over from reason.

"We can't stay here forever..." Hermione whispered and kissed Bellatrix's skin. She smiled. "I'd like us to be out more. Maybe even find a place for ourselves. I don't think I want to be in this house forever, And now that you can move freely..."

"Are you ready for the looks? The stares and the whispers? Because people will do those things, Hermione. They will never see me as one of them. Well, not for a while anyway..." Bellatrix asked softly. She was still caressing Hermione's skin and softly kissed it.

"We will face them" Hermione smiled and turned so she could look the other woman in the eye. She smirked. "And if not, we'll just scare them..."

They lay like this for the rest of the afternoon and early evening, wrapped up in each other and the blanket. They talked and laughed and kissed and cuddled and outside the sun set behind the horizon and painted the world in shades of orange, yellow and red. And as the rest of the wizarding world learnt the truth about Bellatrix Lestrange, and in living rooms and offices and corridors and pubs people talked about it, Hermione lay in the arms of the woman she loved. But she also became more aware that now that the truth was out, she would have to face Harry and Ron eventually. She couldn't hide from them forever.

She had read the Daily Prophet. She knew of the death of Remus Lupin but she never had a chance to mourn her friend. She misses his funeral and she missed the funerals of her fellow Hogwarts students. She had not been a part of her old life from the moment she escaped with Bellatrix and now she had to find the strength to return to that part of her life. But most of all she had to find the strength because she knew the judgment of Ron and Harry would be the worst of all.

~()~

Hermione took Bellatrix to London the next morning. Dressed up in coats, jeans and jumpers they made their way into the world for the first time. It was a sunny day. A few white puffs of cloud decorated the ocean blue sky. They Apparated not far from Hyde Park and Hermione showed her around. They had coffee, something Bellatrix had gotten used to. And they went on the tube, much to Bellatrix's horror and surprise, and they strolled around Camden Market before and ate alongside the canal before moving on to Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street. They held hands and laughed and talked and because they were walking in the Muggle word, they felt less exposed. Before it was difficult to tell witches and wizards apart from Muggles, but it was easy now. Those who stopped and stared at Bellatrix, never quite hiding their shock and amazement, were those who read the Daily Prophet.

"This is amazing..." Bellatrix whispered as she looked up the flashing lights of Piccadilly Circus. Beside her, Hermione beamed with pride and her hand linked with Bellatrix's. Dozens of tourists moved amongst them, crossing the roads and Hermione recognised various languages being spoken. "I never knew there was another world out there. I wish... I wish I had known... When I was younger... I feel like I have missed so much..."

"You can catch up..." Hermione whispered and planted a kiss on Bellatrix's hair. She had been here many times before, the last time when she and Harry and Ron Apparated here after the wedding. "Come on, we'll go and grab a drink in one of the bars before we go home..."

The rest of the night they mingled with bar hopping crowds in London. It was a world neither of them knew very well but they both seemed comfortable. In the darkness they were strangers to the world and almost to each other. It was new and it was exiting. Hermione could not remember the last time she had drunk alcohol and she allowed the burning sensation to slide down her throat. She even persuaded Bellatrix to dance and their bodies moved together on the dance floor in the back of an old pop that was filled with twenty-somethings who had left their jobs for the weekend. Nobody knew them. And in this world, in the shadows, they were truly free.

~()~

As the days progressed, they went out more often and eventually the day came that they Apparated into a small alley around the corner from the Leaky Cauldron. For the past four days Bellatrix had moved in the Muggle world; she had been shopping with Hermione, they had been to the seaside and they had been into London. But now the one obstacle remained. The wizarding world. The one place that knew Bellatrix for what she had been but had not known her for who she was.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked and looked at her lover. Bellatrix seemed nervous but she nodded, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. They had Apparated just outside the Leaky Cauldron, in a small alleyway. Hermione went ahead and Bellatrix followed closely behind and Hermione felt her take in a deep breath when she opened the door to the pub and revealed the dimly lit room inside. It wasn't very crowded. A few witches and wizards sat at various tables and the bartender was cleaning the bar. His eyes snapped up when the door opened.

Hermione stepped inside and allowed enough space for Bellatrix to file past her. Her own heart was hammering in her chest and she couldn't even begin to imagine what Bellatrix was feeling. Her eyes were still fixed on the bartender and she watched how his eyes moved from her to her companion and they instantly darkened. He left the bar and walked towards them. His unexpected movement made the other customers look up and a shocked whisper rose from the tables.

"You are not welcome here!" he spoke in a loud, clear voice.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and took a step in his direction. "You read the Prophet, don't you?"

"I don't care what the Prophet says. She's still a Death Eater. There will always be blood on her hands..." snapped the bartender and now Bellatrix stepped past Hermione.

"I'm right here, you know..." she answered with a chilling voice and her charcoal eyes met the grey of the bartender. Hermione wanted to take her arm but Bellatrix pulled away. "And frankly, it doesn't bother me whether you believe the Prophet or not. My life has been too much of a waste for me to care about your oppi9nions. So you either choose to believe Hermione Granger, part of the Golden Trio who rid this world of Lord Voldemort, or you choose to live by your own ignorance and hatred and you will be no better than I once used to be..."

There was a moment of silence and Hermione thought Bellatrix's words had been very much true. She glanced back at the bartender. He too seemed to consider what Bellatrix had said and then slowly stepped aside.

"What can I get you?" he growled whilst shuffling back to the bar.

"Two gillywaters, please" Hermione answered whilst she and Bellatrix strode across the pub and sat down at a table in the corner. They could feel various sets of eyes follow them but when she looked at them, everybody else looked away. She then glanced at Bellatrix. "You OK?"

Bellatrix smiled. "Never better"

They sat by the cosy fire and talked and laughed like they would have done had they been at home. Around them, the crowd had accepted them, and some had perhaps forgotten they were there at all. And the staring had stopped and Hermione purely had eyes for the woman who sat across the table. In the orange gloom of the fire, Bellatrix looked ten years younger and her eyes were sparkling. A smile lingered on her lips as she played with her glass and sipped from her drink. Minutes turned into hours and more empty glasses piled up on the table.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up. She had been staring into the fire during Bellatrix's absence. She had walked up to the bar to order a drink. The pub was almost empty now and it was getting late. She looked over her shoulder as the voice had sounded hauntingly familiar and her eyes widened when she recognised Ginny Weasley. Her fiery red hair fell down the sides of her pale face and she was dressed in a travelling cloak and clutched a bag.

"Ginny!" Hermione said and stood up. She enveloped the redhead in her arms and gave her a fully meant hug. When they parted, she caught Ginny's questioning look and sighed. "I know you have so many questions..."

"Where did you go after the battle? Where have you been? What happened?" Ginny asked and Hermione couldn't suppress a smile. Though this was neither the time nor the place she had wanted to meet Ginny. "Did you see the Prophet about Bellatrix Lestrange? Has the world gone metal?"

"Ginny, listen... There are a lot of things I need to tell you but this is not the right time..." Hermione began and heard the familiar sound of Bellatrix's boots on the wooden floor. Any second now she would emerge from the shadows and Ginny would see exactly whom she was here with. She swallowed. "I will come by The Burrow one of these days, I promise. But tonight... tonight you have to leave me..."

"The bartender seems to have come round a bit and..." Bellatrix's voice trailed off when she realised Hermione was standing up and talking to someone. She nearly dropped the glasses and simultaneously both Hermione and Ginny looked at Bellatrix. And Hermione's instincts were fast. She had drawn her wand and aimed it at Ginny's chest before the redhead could even think about drawing her own. Angry brown eyes now fixed on Hermione and Hermione's hand slightly trembled.

"This is not what you think..." she began but Ginny cut her off.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" Ginny shrieked and the glasses in Bellatrix's hand snapped. Gillywater poured over her hands as splinters of glass spread across the floor and cut her skin. Drops of water mixed with drops of blood and seeped into the wooden floor. "WHY are you here with her? Is that where you have been all this time? With that _monster_?"

"Ginny, you need to listen to me" Hermione tried but it seemed Ginny wasn't ready to reason just yet. Her eyes merely dropped to Hermione's wand aimed at her chest and she arched an eyebrow. Hermione knew what she was going to say and she had her answer ready before she could even say it. "If that's what it takes to protect her, then I will..."

"She killed Sirius, Hermione! She tortured Neville's parents into permanent insanity! She murdered Muggles for sport!" Ginny shrieked. "And it doesn't matter what the Prophet says... I will never believe she was actually cursed by Voldemort for all those years!"

Hermione lowered her wand and her arm hung still beside her body, almost defeated. She shook her head. "Ginny, there are so many things you don't understand and don't know. I will meet with the Order tomorrow. You can tell them that. And I will answer all their questions, I promise. And if you still feel the same way after you have heard the truth, you are free to Crucio the hell out of me if you wish..."

Ginny's eyes were blazing and she shot a dark look at Bellatrix before she spun around on her heels and stalked out of the pub. Hermione suspected she would tell her family she had seen Hermione with Bellatrix as soon as she came home and it wouldn't make things any easier if she did go and see them tomorrow but there was no way back now. She had to go and explain herself.

"You shouldn't wait till tomorrow..." Bellatrix whispered in her ear and Hermione turned to look at her. "Go now. You know that if you wait, things will only get worse..."

"Come with me..." Hermione begged and took Bellatrix's hand into her own. "I need you..."

Bellatrix wanted to object but Hermione didn't listen. She took her lover's hand and dragged her out of the pub. Ginny was long gone and it was just darkness that awaited them. Hermione clutched Bellatrix's hand and closed her eyes, calling up the image of The Burrow in her head. It felt like forever since she had last seen it and as the familiar sensation of Apparition washed over her, her stomach tightened with nerves. When she reopened her eyes she and Bellatrix were standing by the corn field surrounding the Weasley home and Hermione swallowed hard. Lights were burning behind the windows and shadows were moving inside. She turned to Bellatrix.

"I had best stay here..." Bellatrix whispered and nodded in the direction of the house. "I don't think they'd be jumping for joy to see me..."

Hermione nodded and kissed Bellatrix briefly on the cheek before leaving her by the corn. She crossed the short distance to the front door and ran her hands through her hair before knocking. There were several voices coming from inside, they all sounded rather heated, and footsteps now approached the door. It swung open and revealed the brightly lit kitchen inside, but most of all it revealed the figure of Molly Weasley.

"Hermione..." she said and Hermione immediately sensed she didn't know how to react. Her brown eyes searched the young brunette's face and she clutched the door.

"I know Ginny must already have told you but can I at least tell you my side of the story?" Hermione asked and looked Mrs Weasley. "Please?"


	17. Chapter 17

_Hey guys, I am so sorry that it took so long. With Christmas and New Years and work and illness and stuff... I had part of this written on my phone for ages and finally got around to writing the rest. I hope to be more regular from here on again and I am so grateful you're all sticking with it!_

_Here's to a _**Happy New Writing Year** ;-)

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**Chapter 16**

It still smelled the same inside. It smelled of fresh food and bread. Mrs Weasley had clearly been cooking, which was no surprise with so many guests. The kitchen went quiet when Hermione walked in. Voices trailed off and conversations died. Various sets of eyes shot in her direction and she instantly felt as if she was being scrutinized. It was hard to tell what was lingering in those invasive gazes. Hermione felt her heart hammering in her chest and her hands became clam. Mixed emotions began to fill her heart. She was glad to see all these familiar faces. Only now did she realise how much she had missed them. But the happiness was laced with anger by the time she met Ginny's gaze and the redhead turned away. A sharp sting of pain shot through Hermione's heart.

Her throat went dry and she swallowed desperatly. Her voice trembled when she spoke. "I need to explain myself..."

Harry arched an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. His body language was both defensive as well as aggressive. "Well, that's the understatement of the year!"

Hermione looked at him, quickly noticing how Remus put a warning hand on his arm. Spending time with Bellatrix had sharpened her senses. It was how the raven haired woman had always lived and now Hermione did too. She had become weary of the world but also more alert.

"We thought the Death Eaters had taken you! We thought you were dead!" Ron suddenly burst out, causing people to turn around and look at him. He looked flushed and his eyes had widened. He took a step towards Hermione but his father stepped in his way. But Hermione's heightened senses had already kicked in and her hand had slipped towards her wand.

"Well, I'm not..." she answered coldly and more defensive than she had intended. The sharpness of her own voice startled her.

Harry looked at her as if he saw water burn. "Obviously"

"Did anyone ever tell you you sound a lot like Snape when you say that, Harry?" asked Fred, which resulted in a few questioning and dark glares from the other people in the room. He shrugged. "Just trying to diffuse the tension"

"The Death Eaters didn't take me. They never did..." Hermione started and looked around the room. They were all here; The Weasley's and Harry, Kingsley, Remus and Tonks, who held little Teddy. Hermione also recognised Tonks' mother, Andromeda. Her face was still marked by the loss of her husband. Next to Andromeda stood Minerva McGonagall, her former Head of House and now Headmistress of Hogwarts. She looked more tired than Hermione had ever seen her before. Everyone in this room had been a part of her life somehow and now they seemed to have become strangers. She didn't know them anymore. And they didn't know her.

Minerva McGonagall broke the heavy silence and her emerald green eyes fixed on her former student. "So what really happened, Hermione?"

Hermione looked from the Weasley's she had seen the night she returned to Harry and Ron. "I was never kidnapped by Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry. I went back to Malfoy Manor out of my own free will."

"You did WHAT?" Ron shrieked and his father now had to grab his arm to stop him from running towards Hermione. His face was now as red as his hair.

Hermione looked at him, slightly irritated. One of her eyebrows shot up and the sarcasm dripped from her words. "Do I have to repeat everything, Ronald?"

"You went back?" Minerva questioned as beside her Mrs Weasley looked defeated. Hermione realised they had lied to the rest of the Order, just like she had asked them to. She felt grateful but also guilty for having put them in this position. It seemed Minerva had realised this too as she turned to the Weasley matriarch. "You knew?"

Mrs Weasley slowly nodded and for a moment Hermione thought she was going to cry. But she held herself together, even when Ron turned to her. Her face remained strangely emotionless when her son shouted at her and Hermione suppressed the desire to punch Ron in the face for the way he spoke to his mother.

"You bloody well lied to us?" Ron turned to his sister, who was as fuming as he was. "And you too?"

"Ron..." Ginny began but Hermione interrupted her.

"Don't be angry with her, Ron" she said dismissively "I asked them to lie. And before you attack me again, I gave them no choice. I told them the truth about our journey and I told them the truth about going back to Malfoy Manor"

"But you lied to me and Kingsley" Remus concluded. He sounded slightly hurt. He looked tired and worn out, Hermione noticed. She could see the disappointment in his eyes and it hurt.

Hermione nodded and sighed. "I wasn't sure whether the Order would believe the truth..." She looked around and her eyes came to a rest on Harry. He had been staring at her and now she finally met his eyes. "Hatred has been a fuel for many..."

"What happened?" Tonks asked and as always she was the soothing, calming voice in the room. Wise beyond her years, much like Hermione herself, she resembled her mother. Hermione had never met Andromeda before but the dark haired woman next to Tonks could have been Bellatrix's twin. The realisation startled her and she averted her eyes, as she was suddenly reminded of Bellatrix waiting in the cornfields outside.

"When we were captured by the Snatchers, they took us to Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix tortured me..." Hermione began and a sharp intake of breath went through the group. Remus had clenched his fists. "But, as she sat on top of me, I saw something behind her eyes. Something no one had ever seen before. Like her soul was trapped..."

"The woman tortured you and cut Mudblood into your arm and you _looked _into her eyes?" Ron sounded almost hysterical and Hermione suddenly saw he really was his mother's son but she thought it best not to point that out at this moment in time.

She shook her head. "Do not jump to hasty conclusions, Ronald..." She paused and looked at Andromeda. Perhaps she would understand. Her eyes were fixed on Hermione, desperate to hear more and she seemed almost startled when their gazes locked.

"When we escaped, I knew we had left something behind. And it wouldn't let me go. In the darkness of my room in Shell Cottage, I couldn't stop thinking. And so I went back. We took Bellatrix's wand and I used it to get inside the gates. Bellatrix was waiting for me, like she knew I would come back. She and Narcissa were less than kind at first..."

No one spoke. She needn't tell them what had happened though she doubted they would guess exactly what the two sisters had done to her. Even now she could sometimes still feel Narcissa.

"But things changed. Bellatrix changed. She was kind and gentle sometimes. During those moments I could see her soul, like she was free. But during other moments she would be aggressive and violent and absolutely manic..."

"To most people that would just be a personality disorder" Harry said coldly "What made you think she was actually being kind?"

"The fact that it kept happening and the frequency that it happened with" Hermione answered and looked at Andromeda. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like for her right now, having to hear how her own two sisters, her own flesh and blood, had tortured Hermione. She wondered if Andromeda had known but nothing about the darker haired witch told her that she did. Narcissa shouldn't have known. Who was to say Andromeda didn't know. "And because of what Narcissa told me..."

"Narcissa Malfoy is married to the biggest lying, cheating, slithering asshole this world has ever known and you believe her?" Ron shouted in disbelief. "Merlin's saggy left..." He caught his mother's eye and swallowed. "Bloody hell, Hermione!"

"Please, listen to me" Hermione begged and her eyes desperatly searched around the group. Minerva was looking at her, clearly torn between her admiration for Hermione's cleverness and her belief she had gone insane. Remus looked at her in exactly the same way. He had once told Harry not to let hatred blind him. Beside him, Tonks cradled her son. Kingsley looked as calm as ever, which no judgment in his eyes. Ginny's eyes however were blazing. Her twin brothers looked puzzled yet calm. But Harry and Ron were consumed by hatred and it was obvious from the way they stared at her. When Hermione's eyes came to a rest on Andromeda, she felt a sting of pain and guilt. The older witch looked hurt.

"Narcissa told me about an old spell. A deal with the devil, in this case Voldemort, that had been made many years ago. Cygnus Black defied Voldemort and as a repayment, Voldemort asked for the soul of Cygnus' first born child. Bellatrix. The spell prevented her own soul from breaking through and she was under Voldemort's power without knowing it. The magic meant she had no other choice in life than to be his servant. But underneath the charm, her soul slumbered..."

"That's an even worse story than those idiots who claim to have been Imperiused" Harry snorted cynically "if I remember correctly, that's how Lucius Malfoy escaped Azkaban after the first War"

"Wait!" Andromeda interrupted him and she stepped forward, curiously searching Hermione's face. There was a glint of hope in her eyes. "Let her speak..."

"Andy, you don't actually believe this story, do you?" Ginny asked but Andromeda shook her head.

"He was my father too..."

Hermione swallowed, her throat was now sore as well as dry. "With Voldemort in full power, the spell was strong and unbreakable. Bellatrix never even realised what was going on. But when he was first destroyed in 1981, only Voldemort' soul remained. It was all he needed for the spell to remain intact. And in Azkaban, surrounded by Dementors, no soul survives anyway so Bellatrix would never even have known if the spell had been broken..."

There was a silence. It was another cold, deafening silence which allowed all of them to consider their thoughts, feelings and emotions. Hermione's limbs felt heavy and she realised how tired she really felt.

"With the destruction of the Horcruxes, Voldemort's soul began to die and the strength of the spell began to weaken, giving Bellatrix's real soul a chance to emerge. This resulted in the kindness and tenderness but also the aggression and violence, as she became afraid of herself and what was happening. She didn't know about the old magic..."

"You talk like you know her" Harry said and Hermione wasn't sure what emotions she heard in his voice. He still seemed dismissive of the whole story. "You talk like you understand her"

"I understand Bellatrix like you understood Voldemort" she retorted sharply and Harry's face changed. "I was there. I watched the magic fall apart. She set me free. She gave me back my wand and allowed me to walk out of the Manor. She allowed me to leave and by then I realised the destruction of the Horcruxes not only destroyed Voldemort but it also freed Bellatrix from this ancient spell. And so I came back to you and Ron. You had destroyed Slytherins' locket and there were only three left to find..."

"Where did you go after you killed Voldemort?" Minerva asked and Hermione slowly sank down in an empty chair. Her legs had given up. She folded her hands on the table in front of her and sighed. She felt tired and broken.

"Bellatrix had passed out during the battle. She was burning up from the inside out. Her skin was so hot I couldn't even touch it. She was literally being ripped apart before my eyes as Voldemort's soul was destroyed. The magic fought to keep her under control; it didn't want to let her go..." Her voice became weaker. "I... After Voldemort... I went to find her and we Disapparated. We went back to the Forest of Dean and I could only wait for her to wake up..."

"Are you saying Bellatrix is normal now?" Mrs Weasley asked in disbelief and Hermione nodded.

"As normal as any other in this room. She wears Muggle clothes, enjoys bacon sandwiches and watches Eastenders" Hermione answered and smiled weakly. "She remembers everything and she thinks I don't know about the nightmares but I do. She will have to live with her past just like we all do"

"And the Ministry... They know about this..." Kingsley said and Hermione looked up to meet his eyes. She then pointed of the old edition of the Daily Prophet lying on the table.

"I shared my memories with Alcott Leonato from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement" she answered and rubbed her forehead. "Also, they will question Narcissa about this during her trial. She admitted to me and Bella that if she had done something to help her, the spell would have been broken and transferred itself to her instead. Narcissa has her strengths in her own way but also her weaknesses. Helping Bella would have meant losing her..." Hermione's eyes connected with Andromeda's. "And she had already lost one sister..."

"Don't tell me you belief this crap!" Harry suddenly burst out and he turned to Remus. "Bellatrix is a murderous lunatic. She killed Sirius! She killed your best friend, my godfather, her own cousin!"

"I know that, Harry, but you must admit that Hermione's story sounds plausible. In her own way Bellatrix was as much a Horcrux as you were" said Remus and beside him, Minerva nodded.

"Do not compare her to me!" Harry shouted and he turned back to Hermione. "And what is it with you pair anyway... Are you _in love _with that monster?"

"Stop it, Harry" Mrs Weasley said warningly and took his arm. She had seen the hurtful look in Hermione's eyes. Harry struggled to free himself but Mrs Weasley didn't let go. She had too much practice in keeping her fighting sons apart.

Hermione felt tears burn behind her eyes and her heart almost broke in her chest. She wanted nothing else but to just hug Harry but she suspected he would jinx her before she had even reached him. Standing here made her realise how their friendship seemed to have little foundation at all. It felt as if their friendship had merely been based on Harry's expectations she'd be loyal to him. Could it be ruined simply by his hatred?

"Well, ARE YOU?" Harry demanded an answer. His green eyes were blazing behind his glasses. He ignored Mrs Weasley's warning and comforting gesture. "Are you in love with Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"YES!"

No one spoke. For several seconds Hermione's answer echoed around the room, sinking in with everybody standing around her. Devastation appeared in Ron's eyes, rapidly replaced by anger. Minerva looked at Hermione, puzzled and yet somehow with pride. Harry had freed himself from Mrs Weasley's grip and Hermione's hand had shot towards her wand, ready to defend herself, but the jinx never came. With brisk steps, Harry walked out of the room, closely followed by Ron and Ginny. She heard their footsteps on the wooden staircase.

"Hermione..." Minerva began and the young brunette looked up. Their eyes met and she couldn't quite tell what she saw in her teacher's green orbs. "How on Earth..."

Hermione shook her head. She felt defeated and broken. It took a lot of strength to get the words out of her mouth but as they fell from her lips it felt strangely satisfying. "It doesn't matter now, Minerva. I never should have come here. I should have just let Ginny come home, tell you all what she saw and let you draw your own conclusions. Its not like you're not doing it now anyways!"

She felt bitter and angry and her words were laced with venom and accusation. She stood up, the chair scraping over the wooden floor as she did. She brushed her clam hands against her jeans and then started for the door. No one said anything. She opened it and revealed the cold, dark night outside.

"Where are you going?" Tonks and Remus asked simultaneously.

Hermione turned around, the door knob in her hand. "I don't know but anywhere with less judgment and hatred is better than here..." Her eyes sought out of the Weasley's and she shot them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry but I can't stay here tonight...I came back to be honest and tell the truth. Is it really too much to ask to not be judged?"

She opened the door and stepped outside. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, a set of fingers closed around her arm and she turned around. Mrs Weasley stood behind her. There were tears glistening in her eyes and she slowly pulled Hermione back inside.

"Don't leave like this, Hermione..." she whispered and Hermione sighed. "You have nowhere else to go"

"Thank you for reminding me" Hermione whispered softly and stepped back into the kitchen. Everyone was still staring at her and she wanted to scream at them that she hadn't changed, that she wasn't some spectacle they could ogle as much as they liked and she certainly wasn't insane. Anger roared in the pit of her stomach and began to rush through her veins.

"You must forgive Harry, Hermione. His hatred towards Bellatrix is seeded deep into his heart..." Remus said and Hermione flared up.

"Forgive Harry?" she snapped "What, just because he is too immature to change his views and give people a second chance? See the best in them instead of seeking out the worst? Did he learn nothing from Dumbledore?"

Minerva couldn't help but smile for a moment and Tonks shot her husband a meaningful look. Seeing the best in people and giving second chances, had been Albus Dumbledore's trait mark.

"Last I checked I didn't sign a contract that said 'must be loyal to Harry Potter at all times and cannot have thoughts and feelings of her own'" Hermione continued and the anger reached the surface.

"You knew what you signed up for when you started this journey!" Remus defended Harry and Hermione had a horrible memory of the fight between her, Ron and Harry in the tent before Ron left. Ron had said similar words though she knew his to be based on jealousy and resentment. She wasn't sure what hers were based on.

"Did I?" Hermione asked and took a few seconds to calm down so the words came out in a more reserved and less resentful way. "Did I really ask to erase my parents' memories and send them to Australia? Did I choose to lose my childhood and teenage years? And yes, I know Harry didn't choose any of this either but he very easily assumed Ron and I would give up everything. We all made sacrifices for Harry but he needs to know and understand that people still have their own lives and their own feelings!"

"I never asked for anything..."

Hermione turned around. No one had heard Harry come down the stairs and she felt a surge of anger now that she saw him. Ron stood right behind him and the image couldn't be more hypocritical if they tried. Slowly she shook her head. "That's right, Harry. You never asked for anything. You also never asked what Ron and I thought about all of this. And even though Mister Hypocrite is your best mate now, he wasn't several weeks ago, remember?"

She looked around the room and focused on Andromeda and Tonks. The eldest of the two seemed somewhat lost about the situation. "I know Bellatrix would like to see you two. Whenever you are ready that is. She does not want to force anything. And she says she can understand if you don't want to because a lot has happened. Just send an owl..."

"Where are you going?" Minerva asked when Hermione walked back towards the door. Harry and Ron had followed her across the kitchen and defensively, Andromeda approached Hermione as well. Her eyes were no longer fixed on the brunette but on Harry and Ron.

Hermione looked around the room, at the faces of the people she thought she knew and had loved. She swallowed the hard lump in the back of her throat away and a single tear trickled down her cheek. "Back to the one person who has not judged me throughout all of this..."

She opened the door and stepped back into the cool, dark night. It had started raining and the thick, cold raindrops seeped through her clothes and quickly drenched her hair. Strings of brown hair stuck to her forehead and she walked across towards the cornfields. Behind her, Ron and Harry stood in the doorway.

"Is that you, Hermione?" Bellatrix's voice called from out of the cornfields and Hermione turned into the direction of her voice. The corn rustled and Bellatrix appeared. She was still dry but the enchantment lifted as soon as she laid eyes upon Hermione and saw how wet she was. She took her lovers hands into her own and pulled her towards her, wrapping her arms around her. And Hermione sobbed. Her heart broke and the tears falling from her eyes mixed with the rain falling from the sky.

"NO!"

The disgruntled voice of Harry broke Bellatrix and Hermione apart and the two witched turned towards the Burrow. A figure had broken away from the house and rapidly came closer. Hermione immediately recognised Harry and her hand slipped down to draw her wand but before she could even think or act, a bright flash of light cut through the dark sky. Time suddenly seemed to move slowly and Hermione watched in horror as the jet of light first lit up Harry's green eyes before illuminating Bellatrix's pale face.

When it crashed into Bellatrix's chest the raven haired woman froze for a moment. A single second seemed to last forever. Her eyes sought out Hermione and she watched in pain and shock how her lover fell...


	18. Chapter 18

_Though off sick with the flu, I managed to complete chapter 17 as well. I am absolutely dead right now so goodness knows how long it will take me to write another. There are a few loose ends I want to piece together and I have no clue yet as to how I want to finish this story. I suppose my only goal is to reach 200 reviews - help, please? *wink*_

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**Chapter 17**

Hermione never even heard the desperate cry that escaped from her throat when she saw Bellatrix fall to the ground but her body instinctively moved towards her. Voices filled the night but she couldn't hear any of them. Raven curls obscured her lover's face and Bellatrix's body landed in the wet soil with a soft thud. For what felt like an eternity she didn't move.

"Get away from her!"

By the time she registered Ron's voice it sounded like thunder and Hermione whipped around. Her friend, or so he used to be, charged towards her and prevented her from dropping down onto her knees in the soil beside Bellatrix's still body. Ron's arms closed around her waist and he pulled her backwards, almost knocking her off her feet. She screamed and clawed as his arms, her nails sinking deep into his flesh.

"LET ME GO!" Hermione screamed and fought and kicked to free herself from Ron's iron grip. But he did not let her go and she watched as Harry approached Bellatrix's body. Her heart was hammering in her chest and burning tears slipped down her cheeks. Slowly her body eased in Ron's arms when she realised Bellatrix's fingers were moving. Her body was shaking as she slowly pushed herself up out of the sand. Mud stained her clothes, her face and her hair and a pained expression lingered in her eyes as she managed to stagger back onto her feet.

Harry had approached her, his wand still drawn. More and more figures broke free from the house and Hermione recognised Mr and Mrs Weasley, who watched in horror as their son held back Hermione whilst Harry aimed his wand at Bellatrix, who showed no sign of defending herself. This infuriated Harry, whose green eyes were blazing behind his glasses. He was breathing heavily, but it was Bellatrix who was panting. She was clearly in pain and she now slowly rose to her full figure. Nothing about her resembled in the faintest the Death Eater she had once been.

"Fight back, you bitch!" Harry screamed and his wand trembled in his hand. His words were laced with anger, venom and hatred. Every word spelled out how much he hated her. "You... you killed Sirius..."

Bellatrix slowly nodded. She looked up to meet Harry's angry eyes. She looked weak, defeated and broken. There were mud stains on her face and her curls were a wet mess of hair and sand. "Yes, I killed my own cousin. And do not think for a second that knowledge pains you any more than it pains me, Mister Potter..."

Harry stared at her. Out of nowhere, his hand just flicked and the spell shot from his wand. A bright red flash of light shot through the night, rapidly approaching Bellatrix. She had time to move but her body froze. Behind her, Hermione desperatly screamed and her nails once more sunk deep into Ron's now bleeding arms. He had taken her wand from her pocket and held it together with her own. Never ever in her life would she have dared to belief her friends would turn against her. And now here they were; torturing her lover whilst restraining her.

"Harry NO!" Hermione begged as she watched how the Cruciatus Curse collided with Bellatrix and her body once again fell to the ground. Though, this time she did not lie still. She writhed in the mud, her mouth open but no sound came out. Her eyes were closed but tears seeped through her eyelashes. Hermione was reminded of how Bellatrix had looked the night the spell broke and her soul had been freed. Her body jerked and trembled but still not a single whimper fell from her lips.

"Please... make him stop..." Hermione whispered and turned to try and face Ron. He didn't look at her. His eyes were fixed on Harry, who was hovering over Bellatrix, his wand still aimed at her jerking body. In the silver moonlight his face looked distorted and Hermione could see the anger in his eyes. Her heart broke in her chest and she ached inside. Her stomach twisted and turned and she thought she was going to be sick. Her legs went numb and she slumped down to the ground, much to Ron's surprise and he let her go. She did not have the energy to get up and crawl towards Bellatrix.

"You are no better than him now, Harry!" Hermione pleaded desperatly and stared at the young man she had believed to be her friend. "Look at her, Harry! Look at the suffering you put her through! What is this going to solve? Why does this make you any better than Voldemort? Standing there only degrades you to what Bella used to be!"

Harry seemed deaf to her words. His wand was still aimed at Bellatrix, who had now curled up into a foetal position and seemed to desperate for her body to stop jerking. Her eyes had opened and she stared at Hermione. Pure terror reflected in charcoal eyes and tears were still streaming down her face. She had a nosebleed and the burgundy drops glistened on her porcelain skin.

"STOP!" screamed an unexpected voice and another figure broke free from the crowd that had gathered outside the house. She quickly came closer, her arm stretched out and her wand drawn. "HARRY! STOP!" He showed no intention of lowering his wand. "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Harry's wand flew out of his hand and landed neatly in the outstretched palm of Andromeda. He spun around whilst on the ground Bellatrix's body finally stopped shaking. He was clearly surprised by her interruption and for a few seconds seemed too startled to respond. Ron abandoned Hermione and approached Andromeda, with both his own wand and Hermione's.

"Put those away, Ronald Weasley" Andromeda hissed and aimed both her own wand and Harry's at Ron. He froze and his eyes dropped to Andromeda's arm. "And give that one back to Hermione. You haven't got the right to take a witch's wand!"

Ron threw Hermione's wand back at her and she caught it before quickly crawling towards Bellatrix, who lay in the mud and hadn't moved. Hermione reached her and clumsily attempted to pull the raven haired witch into her arms. Bellatrix's body was limp and heavy but Hermione managed to rest Bellatrix's head in her lap and carefully brushed some wet curls out of her face. Bellatrix moaned under her touch and Hermione's lips weakly curled up into a little smile when Bellatrix opened her eyes and looked up at her.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes..." she groaned softly and Hermione cupped her cheek before tenderly placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm so sorry, Bella..." she whispered and tears burned behind her eyes. "I should have known... I should have done something... anything..."

"Harry, that was completely unacceptable!" Remus had reached Andromeda's side and looked at the young man he had come to consider his godson.

"I didn't see you do anything to stop him though..." Hermione snapped behind them and Remus turned to her. Anger had reached the surface and she held Bellatrix's hand. "Nobody did... apart from Andromeda... Nobody stepped in. So much for completely unacceptable, eh?"

"Hermione..." Remus began but she shook her head and slowly stood up, after having made sure Bellatrix was all right to sit up on her own. She brushed the mud from her clothes and took a few steps towards her former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Yeah yeah, I know... I have to forgive Harry because the hatred is seeded so deep inside his heart..." Hermione answered and narrowed her eyes. "Since when is any of that an excuse to use the Cruciatus Curse on another person? A person who, mind you, never even defended herself! Bellatrix never once drew her wand and Harry still attacked her..." She looked at Harry. "You know what that makes you in my book, Harry? It makes you a freaking coward! A hypocrite and a coward!" Her eyes snapped back to Remus. All the anger and disappointment about her friends' reaction now came out and she exploded. "And screw you for telling me to forgive Harry. What if that was _your _wife in the mud, Remus, would you like me to tell you to forgive Harry?"

Remus merely looked at Hermione and it was Andromeda who spoke next. "She has a point, Remus. You cannot defend Harry when his actions ask for condemnation..."

"At least Remus' wife isn't a Death Eater!" Harry spoke sharply and shot a dark look over Hermione's shoulder. Bellatrix had managed to get back onto her feet and was attempting to find her balance. She tried fixing her clothes and brushing off some of the mud. She looked horrible and when she turned to glance at Hermione, she reminded the young witch most of a woman who had just lost everything. Never before had Bellatrix looked more human to her.

"But his wife _is_ related to that former Death Eater..." Tonks said slowly. She had appeared behind Remus and looked at Harry. Both her husband and the young wizard turned to her. She was still holding her son. "As is your son, Remus..." Her eyes drifted towards Bellatrix after briefly having met her mother's eyes. "Look at her... does she look like she is a threat to anyone?"

Hermione walked over towards Bellatrix and the raven haired witch slipped an arm around Hermione's shoulder for support. She was still rather unsteady on her feet but her charcoal eyes managed to seek out Harry.

"Forgiveness is earned, not given..." she said slowly and glanced at Hermione. "In every case..."

"We never should have come here tonight, Bella" Hermione said and looked at the crowd. It seemed most were torn between her and Harry and she wished she had never placed them in this position. She had never wanted for any of them to feel the need they had to choose. So she would ch0ose for them. She grabbed hold of Bellatrix a little bit tighter and called up the image of her parents' house. Even if it wasn't where she wanted to be, it was the only place in the world they had left to go back to.

"Wait!" Andromeda said when she realised Hermione was about to Apparate and walked away from her daughter, son-in-law and grandson. Both Hermione and Bellatrix looked up and Bellatrix's eyes widened when Andromeda approached. "Please, don't leave..."

Hermione smirked. "Somehow I don't think this is the place for a family reunion, Andy..."

"Perhaps not" Andromeda answered slowly "But wasn't it you who said that Narcissa did not help Bellatrix because it would have meant she'd have lost both her sisters? I lived for years thinking both my sisters hated me. It's something you get used to. But seeing how everything has changed... I don't think I want to lose my sister all over again..."

"Andy..." Bellatrix whispered softly and Andromeda looked at her older sister.

"Seems at least someone learned something from Dumbledore..." Andromeda answered and slowly reached out a hand to touch Bellatrix. "It has been too long, Bella..."

Mrs Weasley slowly walked over, much to the dismay of Ron and she placed a hand on Hermione's arm. "Please, come back inside, Hermione. I will fix us something to eat and we can talk... We can talk for as long as it takes to..."

"That's very kind, Mrs Weasley" Hermione interjected and looked at Ron. He was still red in the face and anger still flickered behind his eyes. He was now standing beside Harry. "And I appreciate it, really I do. But there are members of your family who are not ready to welcome me, or Bella, back into your house and I do not think it is fair for me to invade when I know I am not fully wanted"

"Oh Hermione..."

It had not been Mrs Weasley but Minerva McGonagall who whispered her name and she too approached the young brunette. Hermione recognised the tone of her voice as genuine and they shared a look of mutual understanding before Minerva looked at Bellatrix. A smile began to spread across the Transfiguration teacher's face.

"My family used to own several houses across the country. I prefer the Manor in Scotland myself but there are properties in Wales, Yorkshire and Wiltshire if you wish for somewhere to stay. None of them are as grand as the Manor, I'm afraid, but somehow I think you would appreciate something smaller... The one in Wales sounds like a suitable option..." Minerva said softly and from the pocket of her robes she took an old, silver key and placed it in Hermione's hand. "This will take you there. Turn it twice in hand when you are ready. You may stay for as long as you wish as the house is no longer occupied by anyone. The interior should adapt itself to your own wishes and needs, much like a particular room back at Hogwarts. Should you need for anything the house does not supply, call for Traci and she will kindly tend to your needs..."

"Minerva..." Hermione wanted to object to the offer but the new Headmistress of Hogwarts shook her head.

"I don't want to hear it, Hermione. Now go and take yourself to Wales and try to rest. I shall see to it that Andromeda and Nymphadora receive the exact location of the house so they can come and visit you tomorrow night. For now, I think it is wise you two have a night to yourself and talk..." Minerva said and briefly placed a hand on Bellatrix's arm before adding "Some of us have learnt rather a lot from daft old Albus..."

"Thank you...Minerva" Bellatrix whispered and managed to smile. "I knew there was a reason I once considered you to be my favourite teacher..."

"I doubt that has little to do with the fact I was the only teacher who could persuade Slughorn not to give you detention..." Minerva winked and stepped away from the two witches. Her green eyes found Harry and Ron, who both still looked grim and angry. She shook her head. "Mister Potter and Weasley, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Restraining someone so one could attack their lover is downright disgusting. Both of you have behaved despicable. Were you still in school, I would have had you suspended. Since you're not, I hope my disapproval is enough for you to see reason..."

She turned away from them and shot a final glance at Hermione and Bellatrix before Disapparating into the night. Her departure sparked Kingsley to leave as well, quickly followed by Remus and Tonks, after the latter had promised she would accompany her mother the next night. Mrs Weasley grabbed hold of Ron whilst Mr Weasley ushered Harry back into the house, closely followed by Ginny and her twin brothers. Now only Hermione, Bellatrix and Andromeda remained.

"I am sorry, Andy. For everything..." Bellatrix began but Andromeda shook her head.

"Now is not the time, Bella. Minerva was right. You need rest. And I shall come see you tomorrow night and we will talk about life. We will talk about the past but we will focus on the future. Because the future is what shapes you now, Bella..." she said with a kind voice and gently brushed her fingers along her sister's jaw. "I promise you everything will be all right. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week but eventually things will be all right"

Hermione looked from Bellatrix to Andromeda and back before slowly turning the key twice in hand. The world rapidly changed into a blur and the familiar sensation of Apparition washed over them. She held on to Bellatrix and in the distance, the shape of a house appeared. The image became clearer and clearer and a few seconds later they were standing outside a metal gate. It wasn't as high and impressive as the gates surrounding Hogwarts or Malfoy Manor but they were still impressive. Hermione slowly stuck the key in the lock and the gates magically evaporated, leaving nothing but the silver key behind.

"Ingenious magic" Hermione commented as she and Bellatrix slowly made their way up the cobbled path leading to the large Tudor house. It was surrounded by trees and the grass and flower beds were immaculately kept, even though Minerva had mentioned the house was unoccupied.

The front door opened when Hermione merely brushed her hand against the doorknob and revealed the wooden floor of the entrance hall. Lights went on around the house, slowly filling it with a warm, welcoming gloom. A fire ignited instantly in the fireplace in the living room and Hermione realised the furniture changed before their eyes, suiting it to their taste and their needs. The dark wooden walls were replaced by baroque style wallpaper, silver with white flowers, and the curtains changed colour. She slowly let go of Bellatrix and helped her to lie down on the sofa.

"I am sorry you had to choose, my love" Bellatrix whispered as Hermione began to close the curtains. She turned as she stood by the window and looked at Bellatrix, who was curled up on the sofa. Her black curls were a sharp contrast against the cream coloured cushions she was resting on.

"They made me choose, Bella. I never intended to" Hermione answered softly and walked back towards her lover and knelt down on the floor in front of her. Slowly she took Bellatrix's hand into her own and sighed. "I have no idea where this will leave us from here, Bella. Everything has changed. The world has become a different place and familiar people have become strangers..."

"Yet strangers have become familiar" Bellatrix said, pointing out how Andromeda had accepted her back. But slowly a dark look appeared in her eyes and she bit her lip. "Narcissa's trial will be soon..."

Hermione nodded and softly planted her lips on Bellatrix's forehead. "Do you wish to see her?"

There was no answer and Hermione merely planted soft and tender butterfly kisses on Bellatrix's forehead and down her neck. The raven haired woman barely stirred under her touch but her eyes slowly closed. Hermione's hand trailed up her arm, gently brushing the dark curls out of Bellatrix's eyes and she slowly placed her lips near Bellatrix's ear. Her breath was warm against the other woman's flesh.

"You should go to bed..." she whispered softly and Bellatrix slightly turned her head so that Hermione's lips now brushed against her cheek. "We both should..."

One eye opened and Bellatrix's mouth twitched. "In the house of Minerva McGonagall?"

Hermione shrugged and placed a kiss on Bellatrix's lips, followed by another and another. They grew in intensity and passion. She let her tongue trail down Bellatrix's bottom lip. She couldn't explain her sudden arousal. Perhaps it was anger. It had often been what had stimulated Bellatrix before the curse had been broken. Perhaps it was merely the knowledge they had a place to live together and she knew that for once, no one really knew where they were. She nipped at Bellatrix's neck and sucked softly on the slightly pulsating vein. "She did say no one else lives here..."

Bellatrix slowly stood up and Hermione took her hand firmly into her own. As they walked out of the living room and began to climb the stairs, the chandeliers and candles dimmed themselves. The slight gloom illuminated Bellatrix's pale face and ignited her charcoal eyes. In the weak light she looked more beautiful than Hermione had ever seen her and when they reached the landing, Bellatrix's top had fallen to the floor, closely followed by Hermione's. A lonely shoe was left behind on the landing, its partner only just made it into the bedroom.

Hungry and yet tender and careful lips crashed together and the journey of passion began. Their hands still fitted together like no other and porcelain skin felt warm and soft under eager, tender hands. In the yellow candle light their bodies moved together in perfect harmony and the silk sheets barely covered their naked skin. Beads of sweat appeared on forehead and trailed down the valleys between perfect breasts. Nails scratched softly, passionately, along a lover's back and raven curls entwined with brown. Charcoal eyes expressed the passion that lingered inside a newly discovered heart whilst hazel brown whispered endless words of I love you.

Bellatrix's lips sucked down on Hermione's neck as fingers explored the damp wetness between her legs. Her skin was glowing under her fingers. She shivered whenever her fingertips touched warm, soft, tender and longing flesh. Underneath her the younger woman arched her back, pressing her pelvis firmly against Bellatrix's hand. Their bodies rocked together, in passion and endless harmony. A single tear trickled down Hermione's cheek as desperate fingers clawed into the silk sheets, letting go of the world surrounding her and falling endlessly into the world of bliss.

Every time she made love to Bellatrix, she was another treasure to uncover. From the firm swells of her breasts, tender and swollen under her touch, down to her stomach. Never did she forget to touch the fading scar on her arm where the Dark Mark had once been. She kissed it, like she kissed her everywhere else. Lower she trailed, dipping softly into Bellatrix's belly button. The giggle that escaped from her lover's lips was music to her ears. And then Hermione tasted sweetness like she had never tasted it before as fingers grabbed a firm hold of her dark brown curls. Hearing Bellatrix cry out when she slipped into a world of beauty and stars supernovas, Hermione couldn't help but smiling to herself and realise once more the beauty they had discovered together.

The sheets were cool and comforting against their warm, glowing skin. It was as if their bodies had been sculpted for each other. Raven curls tickled Hermione's skin just before she drifted off into the slumber of sleep and she nuzzled her head a little further onto Bellatrix's chest. Perhaps this was not their house, but wherever she was with Bellatrix was home. And it was the only place she wanted to be.


	19. Chapter 19

**3 more reviews till the magical 200. You guys are amazing and you kindly recieve my thanks and gratitude**

* * *

_If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked,  
while your own conscience approved you,  
and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends."  
- Charlotte Bronte, __Jane Eyre_

**Chapter 18**

Morning came all too soon and Hermione found herself waking up with the realisation she had never felt more alone in her life. She rolled over to find Bellatrix still asleep beside her. Hermione smiled to herself and tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of Bellatrix's face. She took a few seconds to take in the peaceful, innocent sight of her sleeping lover and was overwhelmed by a sense of sadness and loss. Beside her lay the only person in this world she had ever truly loved and somehow that love had now cost her her friends. And she no idea if she would ever regain them, or even whether she wanted to. But the realisation that her ability to love Bellatrix made others hate her, broke her heart.

Careful not to wake Bellatrix, she slipped out of the bed and her bare feet touched the wooden floor. To her surprise it felt comfortably warm and she smiled, remembering how Minerva had said the house would see to their every need and wish. She walked across the room, still naked. There was a door on the other side of the room and it led to the bathroom. Both a shower and a bathtub awaited her and Hermione chose the shower, since it was quicker.

As the soothing water rained down on her still tired body, Hermione washed her hair with the vanilla scented shampoo and scrubbed her skin down with the flowery soap. But it did not matter how hard she scrubbed; she couldn't erase the nagging feeling that was eating away at her inside. When she eventually stepped from under the shower, still dripping wet but smelling rather more refreshing than when she went in, she wrapped a light pink fluffy towel around herself and turned towards the mirror. The temperature of the shower had steamed it up and she placed her hand against it, briskly brushing it away, revealing her own reflection.

Hermione stood like this for awhile, looking at her own rather blurry face. Was the girl in the mirror truly still the girl who had first returned back to Malfoy Manor? Was she still the same person who had fought Voldemort alongside Harry? Was she still the girl who had been his best friend, perhaps more like a sister even, or had she become something, someone, nobody really knew? And had it all been really worth it in the end?

"_Stop it, Hermione_" she mentally told herself and turned away from her reflection. She opened the door and her eyes shot across the room. Bellatrix had rolled over but she was still very much asleep. Hermione had already discovered Bellatrix's ability to sleep for hours on end and she smiled before opening the wardrobe. To her surprise she found clothes suitable for both herself and Bellatrix and pulled a neatly folded pair of jeans from the shelf, followed by a light pink off shoulder top. She got dressed, managed to get a brush through her damp hair and eventually left the bedroom and descended down the stairs.

Instead of walking back into the living room, she tried the door left of the staircase and it revealed a small but nevertheless impressive library. Two comfortable armchairs stood by the window, with the sunlight now falling onto the floor. The window looked out into the back garden and Hermione saw the small pond, surrounded by grass and flowerbeds. A few old oak trees stood in the back of the garden, creating some shadow but also obscuring the garden and the house from view. The house was an image of English countryside perfection and she suspected it was exactly the way Minerva McGonagall had intended it to be.

Hermione turned to the bookcase. She shouldn't be surprised to find so many books in a house owned by Minerva, but as she let her fingers trail the leather bound titles, she was surprised to see the variety of books. Unfamiliar wizarding titles, some study books and others clearly novels, stood side by side with Muggle titles that sounded more than just familiar to Hermione. She even found one of her own favourites amongst them, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and took it. She clutched it to her chest as she walked through the hallway towards the back of the house. A variety of paintings and pictures, mainly of country side scenes, decorated the walls. She reached the backdoor and slowly stepped outside, into the welcoming sunshine. The world seemed peaceful and quiet and she strode across the grass. Eventually she sat down under the oak trees she had seen through the window, pulled up her legs and placed the book against her knees. She looked up to the sky. It was clear blue with just a few puffs of white cloud. Her eyes drifted back to the Tudor house. It very much felt like a home. And the smile slowly spread across Hermione's face as she opened the page and began to read.

~()~

A shadow fell over her and Hermione's head whipped up, instantly startled by the sudden arrival. Before her, Bellatrix arched an eyebrow at Hermione's quick reaction and her gaze dropped to the younger witch's hand, who had reached for her wand which, up till a second ago, had rested in the grass beside her.

"I do hope you didn't plan on using that..." she smiled and Hermione instantly eased.

"Sorry. Bad habit, I suppose" she answered sheepishly and put her wand down. "I see you rolled out of bed then?"

Bellatrix sat down in the grass beside Hermione and the younger watch picked up a subtle waft of roses. Bellatrix had clearly used a different shampoo. Her black ringlets were still damp and her skin was still glowing after the scrub down. She was wearing a black skirt that reached down to her ankles and a deep purple top that clung to her curves in the right places and left little to Hermione's imagination.

"What are you reading?" Bellatrix curiously lifted up the cover of the book that was resting against Hermione's knees and studied the title for a moment. She looked up with a puzzled expression. "Jane Eyre?"

"It's a Muggle novel. You should read it sometime. I think you'd enjoy it" Hermione answered and rested her head on Bellatrix's shoulder. The older woman searched for her hand and Hermione sighed when their fingers slowly entwined. She could sit like this for all eternity, just her and Bellatrix, and to wish for the world to be far away. She wished to live like this, away from prying eyes and words of judgment. Her eyes fluttered shut at that painful realisation and she couldn't fight the tears that welled up in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Bellatrix whispered when one of Hermione's tears trickled down her cheek and fell onto the raven haired woman's shoulder. She turned her head slightly and brushed the remaining tears away. "What has upset you so?"

"Last night..." Hermione whispered and Bellatrix hissed through clenched teeth. The sound was identical to what she would have done in the old days and it seemed that for a moment, both women realised it. "Is that what it's going to be from now on? Now that the world knows about you, about us, the judgment will be endless, Bella. They will look at us and have plenty to say. Perhaps not to our faces but most definitely behind our backs..."

"And this worries you?" Bellatrix questioned and Hermione nodded. She planted a soft kiss on the younger witch's hair and an arm slipped around her shoulders, pulling her closer. The book slipped from Hermione's lap down into the grass. "We will find our own way, my love. We have found one this far, we can find one that leads even further..."

"There will be more people like Harry, Ron and Ginny. Ignorant, spiteful people who will be unable to see beyond the past..." Hermione's voice broke. "I am unsure where to look for friendship... or for life, for that matter..."

Bellatrix swallowed and her fingers ran through strands of bushy, unruly dark brown manes. She sighed. "You confuse me, Hermione... I am not sure whether I understand..."

"I am saying that I don't know where you and I, our life, will go from here. Surely we can't forever live in a countryside cottage with no people around us? No friends to call our own, no family?" Hermione sat up and looked at Bellatrix. The dark haired woman was looking back at her, slightly bewildered but the words were registering with her now. "We need to do something... though I am not sure what exactly. Surely there must be something we can do..."

"I always thought you'd do well at the Ministry" Bellatrix said meaningfully and cupped Hermione's cheek with her hand. Her thumb caressed the outline of Hermione's jaw. A gentle, comforting touch and Hermione felt her nerves ease inside. "And I am sure Kingsley Shacklebolt can find a place for you somewhere. Or, you can return to Hogwarts..."

"No. I am not going back to Hogwarts. My life there is over. I doubt people will be very happy to see me again..." Hermione's face suddenly changed and sadness filled her eyes. She averted her gaze and stared out over the garden, her eyes drawn to the pond where a little robin had landed on one of the rocks and was looking back at her. A haunting thought, followed by an image, crept up from the back of her mind.

"What is it?" Bellatrix wanted to know and turned Hermione's face back towards her. "Hermione?"

"Your sister... Narcissa..." Hermione whispered and Bellatrix's face instantly lost most of its colour. "Before the rise of Voldemort... all those years, people talked about them. And I think I suddenly know... how she must have _felt_..."

"You are mistaken about Narcissa" Bellatrix answered sharply and Hermione looked at her. "The scrutiny of society, the judgment passed and the words whispered behind her back never touched her. I do not believe my sister ever cared. And not because she didn't want to but because she was raised not to..."

Hermione took a sharp breath in. "What about you, Bella?"

"I perhaps shouldn't and the part of me that does care is the part that loves you" Bellatrix answered softly and her gaze dropped down into her lap. "I am afraid I am holding you back, Mione. That I am taking changes away that you ought to have and are now missing because of me. Your education, a career... life..."

"Stop!" Hermione said and closed the small distance between her and Bellatrix. She grasped the older woman's hands into her own and Bellatrix looked up. Sadness reflected in her charcoal eyes and Hermione shook her head. "Don't say that. This is _our _life, Bella. It means that you and I can make this work together. And we will. We just need to know how... Perhaps Kingsley... I am sure they can use some of your skills at the Ministry too..."

"I don't think the Ministry generally encourages the use of the Cruciatus Curse, Hermione..." Bellatrix sounded almost sarcastic. "Not to mention that fourteen years in Azkaban and being a murderer doesn't look great on your CV..."

Hermione shook her head. "I am serious, Bella. Voldemort might be dead but dark magic isn't. And definitely not outside this country's borders. I remember Professor Binns telling us about it in History of Magic..."

"You paid attention in History of Magic?"

"He said that dark magic has been thriving in Eastern Europe and that it has little to nothing to do with Voldemort. He also said it was hard for the Ministry of Magic to intervene when these visitors came to England because the Aurors and other Ministry people couldn't identify them, let alone discover what they were up tp. Some of the magic they used, he said, made the stuff the Death Eaters were up to look mild..." Hermione finished her story, having ignored Bellatrix's teasing interruption. "You won't be able to tell me that one of those nutters wouldn't like to be the next Voldemort..."

Bellatrix looked at Hermione. "You are amazing, you know that?"

Hermione cocked her head in curiosity. "Why would you say that?"

"Only you would remember a tiny fragment of a History of Magic class that could perhaps give a former Death Eater a chance for a job inside the Ministry..."

Hermione shyly smiled and shrugged. "I always had to pay attention. Ron and Harry never did..." She picked up the book that had fallen into the grass and stood up. She reached out a hand to Bellatrix and pulled the raven haired witch onto her feet. She instantly pulled her towards her and planted her lips softly against Bellatrix's. The kiss was soft, tender and seemed to erase whatever hopeless feelings they had felt mere seconds before.

"I will write to Kingsley in the morning" Hermione said when they parted and she looked deeply into Bellatrix's eyes. Even now, she was still amazed to see the true beauty of them.

Bellatrix merely nodded and her eyes closed for a moment or two.

"Come on, we'd better see if there is anything in the house to prepare for diner..." Hermione then said as she began to walk back towards the house, still holding Bellatrix's hand. She turned to look at her. In the afternoon sunlight Bellatrix looked amazing and the few doubts she had felt before, rapidly faded. She knew this was where she belonged. Alongside a woman who had seen her for who she really was. Beside a woman who had become what she was for her. And together they had a chance. It would take time and effort, but they had a chance. And she wasn't going to let it slip away.

Bellatrix followed Hermione into the house, planting a kiss somewhere on her shoulder as they stepped inside and she smiled. "Yeah, we have got guests tonight..."

Hermione nodded. "A family reunion"

~()~

Hermione discovered it was no use letting Bellatrix use a kitchen when she had no idea what the appliances were for and after she had nearly managed to electrocute herself, she sent her out into the dining room with the order to lay the table and to get changed. It was easier to cook on her own, as she had done it many times before, and it was an activity she rather enjoyed. Though she did think it would be wise to teach Bellatrix some cooking skills in the future. She cheated this time, using her wand to peel the potatoes and 'helped' the chicken she had found in the freezer a little before placing it in the oven. Tonight's diner would be a simple, yet traditional English roast.

With the potatoes and the chicken in the oven, the carrots and peas ready to cook and the kitchen cluttered with dirty dishes, Hermione found it was time to get changed too. She had a quick shower, washing away the smell of standing in the kitchen for some time, and then changed in a knee length white skirt and a dark red top. She bound her hair back in a loose ponytail, held together by a piece of ribbon she found in the back of the wardrobe. When she came back downstairs, she found Bellatrix standing in the kitchen, looking helplessly at the pile of washing up. She was looking from the sink and the tap to the plates, pans and cutlery and seemed puzzled about how to clean them.

"Since we have little time, we'll cheat" Hermione whispered as she slipped her arms around her lover's waist and kissed her in the base of her neck. "But I promise I will let you wash up another day..."

"Scourgify" she muttered softly and the dirty pans and other items instantly cleaned themselves. All shiny and clean they now stood on the kitchen surface and Hermione directed them back to their original places with her wand before turning to Bellatrix. She was smiling.

"Are you nervous?" she asked softly.

"Strangely, I am not. I think I would have been if it had not been for last night's events..." Bellatrix answered and brushed her hand along Hermione's cheek. "Last night changed a lot..."

"Yes, it did..." Hermione answered with mixed emotions and shot a glance at the oven. "Now, why don't you go and fetch a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine from the library. I spotted a wine rack in there this morning. I need to take the chicken out of the oven and since you're a danger to anything kitchen related, I'd rather you left..."

Bellatrix pouted but did what she was asked, disappearing out of the kitchen. Hermione opened the oven and took out a perfectly cooked chicken. She told herself that if anyone would ask, she would say she had not used magic. Placing the chicken on the side, she drew her wand and pointed it at the vegetables that still needed cooking. Normally it would take forever but with a little help it was done within minutes.

She took several plates from one of the cupboards over her head and lined them up. Behind her, she could hear Bellatrix walk back from the library into the living room and she smiled. There was something strangely comfortable about doing all of this. Like there was a part of her that had always been destined to do this. The idea of having a house they lived in together, with people coming round to see them, made her glow inside. It was a picture of normality and that was really all she wanted her life to be. Normal.

"They never said how they'd get here..." Bellatrix stuck her head around the kitchen door and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly her lover looked really nervous, almost anxious. She had not spent time with her sister in the same room for more than twenty-five years and it seems that realisation had finally hit her.

"Well, they'll Apparate outside the gate, I think" Hermione answered and arched an eyebrow. "It would be a little bit rude to Apparate in the middle of our living room, right?"

Bellatrix nodded, not entirely convinced.

"And I doubt they'd Floo in. Tonks would probably manage to destroy the whole fireplace in the proces. Sometimes I do wonder how she ever became an Auror..." Hermione added and Bellatrix smirked.

"She is related to the Blacks, Hermione. It comes with the genes..."

At that very same moment there was a knock on the front door and Bellatrix slowly turned around. There were about ten steps from her position by the kitchen door and every single one of them felt like a marathon. Her heart was hammering in her chest and when her fingers closed around the door handle she felt that her hands were clam. This was it. Another change in life. Within seconds she would be reunited with the sister she had been separated from for all those years.

And Bellatrix realised that for the first time in her life she really was scared.


	20. Chapter 20

Some of you may have noticed I changed my penname to MadameCissy. I got a little bit fed up with MysteriousFlower and had been looking around for something new for quite some time. And here it is. Also, enjoy this next chapter. I have no idea yet how this is going to finish but I doubt we're far away from it.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Bellatrix opened the front door, only just managing to hide how badly her hands were shaking. Her heart was hammering so loudly in her chest she thought her guests could hear it outside. Her breath chocked in the back of her throat when the door opened and revealed the two visitors waiting outside. Darkness had fallen and in the pale white light from the outside lamp, Andromeda looked almost exactly like her sister. Her thick, dark brown curls were falling down the sides of her face, resting heavily on the dark material of her cloak. Her chocolate brown eyes almost immediately connected with Bellatrix's and a smile slowly spread across her face.

"Bella..." she whispered softly and did not wait for the invitation to come inside. She stepped into the house and closed the short distance between herself and her estranged sister. Behind her, Nymphadora Tonks seemed about as uncomfortable as Bellatrix. It was clear she had listened to her mother's requests to conform, as her hair was a dark shade of blonde and her eyes matched her mother's. Bellatrix had heard all about the young woman's abilities, but still it startled her to see how different she looked from last night when her hair had been an intense shade of purple and a lot shorter too.

"Andy..." Bellatrix said and suddenly Andromeda's arms wrapped around Bellatrix's neck and she pulled her closer.

Shocked, Bellatrix allowed herself to be pulled into her sister's embrace and for a moment her eyes met those of her niece, as the younger witch closed the front door. Then, Bellatrix eye's fluttered shut and she enjoyed the sensation of finally being able to hold her sister. Out of the depths of her mind a memory came to live and she realised she had never quite forgotten how good it felt to hold her sister.

When they eventually parted Andromeda looked at Bellatrix from head to toe and nodded approvingly. "You look good..."

"Th-Thanks..." Bellatrix stuttered and looked at Tonks. "It's good to see you Nymphadora..."

"Please, call me Tonks..." the youngest woman answered and a quirky smile fell over her face. "I am still convinced my mother was drunk when she chose that name for me"

"She liked that name ever since she was a little girl" Bellatrix said without thinking and she and Andromeda looked at each other, both clearly surprised Bellatrix had remembered such a childhood detail. Then they both smiled and Bellatrix showed them into the living room. Hermione hurried out of the kitchen, quickly cleaning her hands on a dish cloth before wrapping her arms around Tonks and Andromeda.

"It's great to see you again!" Hermione said once she had let go of Andromeda and had given everybody a glass of wine of their choice. They were now all sitting in the living room and Bellatrix had lit the candles with a simple flick of her wand. The fire had been burning for a while and the room was filled with warmth. The curtains were drawn, banishing the darkness from outside.

"Had it not been for mom's impressive persuasive powers, you would have had Molly Weasley here tonight too" Tonks said and sipped from her white wine. "Instead, I tricked her into babysitting Teddy. Remus is out with..." She swallowed the rest of her sentence but when she saw how Hermione looked at her she finished it anyway. "..Harry."

"No doubt they have gathered in the nearest pub to get absolutely pissed" Hermione shrugged.

Bellatrix looked around the room. The scene before her eyes was both terrifying and exhilarating. She had never dared to believe she would see Andromeda again, let alone be in the same room with her. And here they were, together, and they were talking. Perhaps there was a chance that the past could be forgiven, never forgotten, and perhaps there was a chance they would find a way to start over and move on.

She placed her wine glass against her lips and sipped from the red liquid inside. It burned down her throat more than she had expected and seemed to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Slowly, her fingers eased around the glass and she scooted a little closer towards Hermione on the sofa. Carefully, her arm slipped around the younger witch's shoulders and when Hermione leant back, Bellatrix felt relaxed. Andromeda and Tonks were sitting on the other sofa and both seemed relaxed.

"Diner is ready if you are..." Hermione said with a smile and Tonks was first on her feet, followed by Bellatrix. This resulted in Andromeda laughing.

"She always was the first at the dinner table" she said with a nod in her sister's direction as she showed Tonks through to the dining room. Hermione held back a moment and watched Bellatrix and her niece. She then turned to look at Andromeda.

"Did you ever think...?" she began but Andromeda shook her head.

"No. Did I hope? Yes. But I knew better..." she answered and swallowed the lump in her throat away. "You have done something amazing, Hermione. You have brought back a person I had almost forgotten. Regardless of the spell, as a child and even as a teenager, Bellatrix's wasn't always as evil as people believed her to be... And you brought that back..."

Hermione shook her head as she and Andromeda followed Bellatrix and Tonks into the dining room. "She brought herself back..."

Andromeda sat down across Bellatrix while Tonks had sat down beside her. Hermione quickly walked back into the kitchen and used an impressive balancing spell to bring the four plates out at the same time. They carefully landed on the table and Hermione summoned the drink glasses that had been left in the living room. They came whizzing into the dining room and found their places beside the plates. She slipped into the spare seat and looked around the table. The three witches were all inspecting their food and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

For the next ten minutes, nobody spoke and they all enjoyed the first few bites of a delicious meal. It wasn't until Tonks put her knife and fork down and looked at Hermione that Bellatrix and Andromeda also looked up from their food. Bellatrix had ravaged her potatoes but left most of her chicken. Andromeda's plate was exactly the opposite.

"You know, you never really had a chance to meet Teddy properly. Perhaps I should have brought him..." Tonks said and smiled. "He looks so much like me"

"Thank Merlin for that" Andromeda added and Bellatrix snorted.

"Mom! There is nothing wrong with Remus!" Tonks flared up but her eyes were still twinkling.

"If you don't count the size of his ears..." Andromeda answered and Hermione looked at mother and daughter.

"Never mind the size of his ears. It could be worse, you know. You could have a child that looks like Ronald Weasley" Bellatrix said, her face completely serious. "Now there is a proper example of what ugliness looks like"

Hermione nearly choked on a piece of carrot and quickly took a large gulp from her wine to swallow it down. She coughed a few times as her eyes began to water and she looked at her lover. "Bella!"

"What?" Bellatrix asked in all innocence, noting how everybody at the table was laughing. Her big, charcoal eyes connected with Hermione's and she pulled a face that only made the younger witch laugh harder. "You disagree?"

"Not at all" Hermione answered and brushed a stray tear from her cheek. Her eyes were still watering and she pushed her plate away. It seemed the carrots were out to kill her tonight. "But I would almost say you have the lack of tact in common with said Weasley"

"Rather the lack of tact than the lack of brains" Tonks commented. "I mean, the lad is completely irresponsible to say the least. Shame really, because all the other kids turned out quite all right. There always has to be one rotten apple, I suppose. And it seems it duplicated when they brought Harry in. I mean, I like the boy and Remus asked him to be godfather of Teddy and all, but I do not approve of his behaviour. I must speak to Remus about that before Teddy gets old enough to understand..."

Seemingly unnoticed they had reached the subject of Harry and Ron, which automatically reminded all of them of the events of the previous night. Bellatrix's face darkened and she pushed her plate away. She drank the rest of her wine in one go and looked around for the bottle before pouring another glass.

"What happened after we left?" Hermione carefully asked, her eyes resting on Bellatrix.

Andromeda's finger trailed the outline of her glass and her were also fixed on Bellatrix. "Molly... she exploded. I swear, if Arthur had not grabbed her arm, she would have smacked both Harry and Ron. I have seen her lose it before, but never like that. And then, Arthur exploded too. I have never seen him shout at his son before. Nor did he spare Harry..."

Hermione slowly nodded.

"Harry was still ranting and raving about Bellatrix being a murderous lunatic" Tonks said softly and now all three witches looked at the raven haired woman. She hung her head, whether it was in sadness or in shame none of them knew, and stared at the table. She had finished her second glass of wine and did not look up to meet anyone's eyes.

"He said he did not believe your story about the old magic and the spell. He said Narcissa had lied and that Bellatrix was fooling us all. And nobody else knew it like he did..."

"I have heard that one before" Hermione angrily hissed and sighed. "Arrogant little twerp"

"Ron of course sided with Harry, as did Ginny. But Arthur told him to be reasonable and Remus tried talking to him. It is why they went out tonight, I think. Perhaps Firewhisky holds more knowledge than my Remus. Harry seems adamant he isn't going to believe things are different now..." Tonks said and suddenly Bellatrix's head whipped up.

"And why would he? What reasons does he have to suddenly see me in a different light? Have you forgotten how Remus had to hold him back when his godfather died? How he was so eager to kill me? I murdered the only family he had left. I killed my own cousin..." she said, her voice filled with both anger and sadness. Hopeless eyes looked at the others around the table. "Why should he not hate me?"

"Because you are not that person anymore!" Andromeda spoke loudly and she stared at her sister. "You have never been that person"

"Haven't I?" Bellatrix questioned. "Was I never an evil person, Andy? Did I not curse you the day I found out about you and Ted? The night you came home and told Mother and Father you were leaving? Narcissa wept at your feet like any sister would do, but I stood at the top of the stairs and sent that curse at you... and I laughed as you cried..."

Tonks looked horrified and her eyes drifted from Andromeda to Bellatrix and back. The picture began to form in her head and her own eyes filled with tears.

"Father sold your soul! Everyone knew!" Andromeda suddenly cried and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Her words were riddled with pain. Hermione's own heart skipped a beat in her chest and she stared at Andromeda as she stood up from her chair. It fell over, bouncing off the wooden floor. Her hands slammed down on the table. "Father acted like it was a secret but it was never a secret, Bella. Everybody knew! EVERYBODY!"

Bellatrix's face changed. The darkness faded from her eyes and her skin became even paler. One single, lonely tear seeped through her dark eyelashes and slipped down her cheek. It was as if someone had reached into her chest and taken her heart, only to break it before her eyes. Pain overwhelmed her. The cold feeling in her chest only spread. "_You knew_?"

"We all did, Bella. Not just Cissy. Yes, she heard Father talk about it. But she failed to mention that she then asked for the truth. And he told her. He told her at the same time he told me. He told us he had made a deal with the Dark Lord. Our family would forever be safe because he had made a huge sacrifice. Mother knew. She had known all along and she never did anything to change it. And Father told us that if we ever told you, the charm would break and instead would move on to one of us. And you... he said you would die..."

"D-Die?" Bellatrix whispered. It was as if never before the idea of dying had crossed her mind. Never in her days as the Dark Lord's right hand had the thought of death ever bothered her. If anything, dying for her Master had seemed like a beautiful and ironic sacrifice. Now the prospect of death seemed far more haunting and far more terrifying.

Andromeda nodded and walked around the table. She knelt down on the floor in front of Bellatrix and took her hands into her own. Bellatrix's hands were shaking. "He made me and Narcissa promise never to tell you. He... he made us make the Unbreakable Vow... to him and to each other..."

Tonks looked from Hermione to her mother and her aunt. "The man was a monster..."

"And he created one..." Bellatrix sighed.

"I remember, Bella. I remember how you helped me with my Potions homework and told me to tell Slughorn to bugger off when he wanted to drag me into the Slug Club..." Andromeda said and Bellatrix's eyes slowly lit up. Her school memories had been buried deep in the back of her mind. "And I remember how you scared off Yaxley when he asked you whether he could ask me out... I am sure he still has scars on his backside from where your jinxes made those tentacles sprout from his... well... you remember..."

"I did wonder why he would never turn his back towards me for all these years..." Bellatrix answered slowly and looked at her sister. A glint of hope, of relief, had appeared in her eyes yet she still looked defeated and broken. Everybody had lied to her all these years. They had all known the truth. "Are you sure everybody knew?"

"Mother was our Bonder" Andromeda sadly answered and Hermione pictured the scene of a young Andromeda and Narcissa kneeling on the floor with their Father as their Mother sealed both their fates and the fate of their sister. "I can still picture how her face seemed to glow red when those robes tied around our wrists... And even after I left, I knew I could never tell you. Someone would die and I hoped that perhaps it would be better if you just hated me. Because it meant you were still alive..."

"She could never even tell me" Tonks answered and looked at Bellatrix. The woman sitting on the chair looked nothing like the mad Death Eater she had hunted as an Auror. "Whenever your name fell when I was younger, she would go rigid and would refuse to talk to me about you. She was afraid her mentioning you would trigger the Vow. She never once talked to anybody... Until she learned the spell had been broken. She told me the truth that night... But made me swear not to tell Remus..."

"Bella..." Hermione whispered and placed a hand on her lover's arm. "It is over now. The world knows the truth. Andy knows the truth. She has always known. And Narcissa..."

"She knew. And many of the things she did, she did to protect me in some sick, twisted way. She too must have remembered that if she would ever..." Bellatrix began and then turned to Hermione. "She told you! She told you and... And nothing happened..."

Hermione shook her head and brushed a dark string of hair out of Bellatrix's face. "You forget that by then I had already figured most of it out. I had discovered your secret without your knowledge, or without anybody's knowledge. When Narcissa told me she was therefore not betraying the secret, she was merely confirming it..."

"It meant she did not break the vow..." Andromeda finished Hermione's sentence. "Even till the very end, Narcissa still protected you..."

"We will never truly know what things she did because of you and what things she did because she wanted to..." Tonks slowly said. "Her trial is in a few weeks. I doubt she will share much of this information with the Ministry, not even if they ask her. Unless..."

"Unless we give them the information. Perhaps they will go easy on her with the sentencing" Bellatrix said slowly. Her whole body was shaking and she suddenly felt extremely tired. Like an invisible weight had been lifted. A weight she didn't even know she had been carrying. "Lucius deserves to rot in Azkaban until the day he dies, but Cissy... she just..."

"Wanted to be your sister..." Andromeda said.

Hermione sat silently and wondered whether Bellatrix remembered what Narcissa had done to her. The mere mention of her name brought back the touches, the chills. She could hear her voice in her head and feel her fingers on her skin. She could still smell the strange scented perfume; a mixture of exotic flowers and dark, rainy nights. She could even feel Narcissa's lips crashing down on her own and her stomach instantly turned upside down. Nausea washed over her. She still remembered how Narcissa had pinned her body against the bookcase and had touched her...

"Hermione?" Bellatrix whispered when she noticed how her lover's eyes had suddenly glazed over and she seemed lost in the distance. "What's the matter, love?"

"Nothing..." Hermione lied and quickly restored herself. She averted her eyes and stared down at her hands in her lap. "Nothing..."

"I do not think tonight is the night for lies and secrecy, my love..." Bellatrix softly said and placed a hand on Hermione's. When she felt her lover twitch under her touch, she removed her hand and placed it under Hermione's chin, making her look up. Their eyes met as Andromeda sat back in her own seat across the table.

"I also do not think tonight is the night to besmirch and taint your sister's name even further, Bella..." Hermione answered and swallowed. The painful tears remained hidden behind her eyes. She did not want to haunt Andromeda and Tonks with the images of what Narcissa had done to her. Their memories were tainted enough as it was without this knowledge and perhaps it was good if perhaps a few people in the world still held a little bit of hope for Narcissa Malfoy.

Bellatrix's eyes darkened and Hermione realised her lover did remember; she had just chosen to store the memory in part of her brain with the intention to forget. But now the same anger she saw the moment Bellatrix had attacked Narcissa with the candle stick reignited again and the raven haired witch clenched her fists. Bellatrix stretched her neck. It was a sign Hermione had learnt to read as anger that she tried to control. Dark red blushes appeared on pale cheeks.

"Perhaps they ought to find her a shared cell with Lucius after all..."

There was a silence in which they all allowed themselves to order their own thoughts and emotions and for several minutes nobody spoke. The sound of the flames eating away at the logs in the fireplace was the only sound filling the room and Hermione stared at the orange flames reducing the logs of wood to nothing but glowing piles of ashes.

"Where does life go from here?"

Tonks had broken the silence and asked the question that had been on all of their minds. She looked from her mother to her aunt and then to Hermione.

"I don't know" Hermione answered as she folded her hands in her lap. "Everything has changed"

"Yes, it has" Bellatrix agreed and her voice changed. It became warmer, laced with hope. "But that means that the future is open for us to make out of it whatever we wish..."

Hermione smiled and flicked her wand. The four wine glasses filled themselves with something that wasn't wine but resembled something more like champagne and she shared them out before raising her own. The flames of the candle reflected in the glass and in her eyes, like a newly ignited flame of hope. The others followed and their glasses clinked together.

"To the future"


	21. Chapter 21

_Once you choose hope, anything's possible.  
~Christopher Reeve_

**Chapter 20**

The courtroom was crowded with people and soft whispers filled the room. Had it not been for the masses of people, the room would have been cold but today it was strangely warm. Men and women sat side by side, most of them fixed on the space in the middle of the room. One or two were holding rolls of parchment and quills and she suspected they were journalists for the Daily Prophet. There was hardly enough room for all the spectators to sit and Hermione shot a nervous glance at Bellatrix beside her. She had a strong dislike for crowded spaces but now her face betrayed nothing. She sat motionless in her seat, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. She was wearing a cloak but had chosen to remove her hood, exposing the unruly raven curls that fell down her shoulders and back. The prying eyes that stared her at for awhile were now gone.

The voices died out when members of the Wizengamot made their entry into the courtroom, dressed in all similar black robes and hats. None of them spoke and they found their seats in silence. The two journalist frantically began writing, occasionally looking up to see if they recognised some of the faces. Hermione's eyes rested on the only vacant seat, which she knew belonged to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. The position had once been held by the late Albus Dumbledore, though she knew it was now Kingsley Shacklebolt who held this position. He was Minister of Magic and he himself had said to the Daily Prophet they had failed to find anybody remotely close to Albus Dumbledore to take the position. He had asked the wizarding community for their own suggestions and the response that he himself, as Minister of Magic, should take the seat. And so it came to be that it was now Kingsley Shacklebolt who entered the room last. There was a sense of admiration in the room as he took his seat and hit the hammer once on the side of his desk to ask for order. He did not have to. The room was silent.

"We have gathered here today for the trials of Lucius Aeneas Malfoy and Narcissa Diantha Malfoy-Black" Kingsley's voice boomed and Hermione looked beside her. Bellatrix was trembling in her seat, her dark eyes now fixed on Kingsley. Her face still remained emotionless but she had clenched her fists.

"I heard they are starting with Narcissa..." Hermione leant in to her lover and her lips were mere millimetres from Bellatrix's ear. "Arthur Weasley reckons Lucius' trial will last a lot longer because they will try and backdate his actions all the way to the first Wizarding War. It is generally believed Narcissa had little to nothing to do with his actions..."

"Is Draco...?" Bellatrix voice was shaking and her charcoal eyes glistened with tears. "Is he testifying?"

"On his mother's behalf, yes. And he will testify against his father. Kingsley told me he has told the Ministry his mother made an Unbreakable Vow to Severus Snape during the time Voldemort ordered him to kill Dumbledore" Hermione answered and her hand found Bellatrix's. Her lover's skin felt cold. "Kingsley reckons it will help Narcissa..."

"You don't want it to help her, do you?" Bellatrix faced Hermione.

"Bella, let's not talk about that here. Like you, I agree that Narcissa has not done the same horrible things her husband did. And like you, I believe that the truth about your past and the Unbreakable Vow might spare her time in Azkaban..." Hermione answered but refrained from mentioning the one event she wished Narcissa would do her time for her, even though Bellatrix had reminded her the night before that Narcissa had already spent several weeks in Azkaban.

"Andy's here..." Bellatrix muttered and pointed to the other side of the courtroom. Through a side door, Andromeda and Tonks had appeared and they found a seat on a bench to the left of Kingsley. Hermione and Bellatrix were sitting directly on a bench in front of the Wizengamot, which meant they had a clear view of the prisoners when they would be brought in from the dungeons. No longer did they have the dungeon like casket in the middle of the room. Instead, there was a wooden chair chained to the ground. Straps were attached to both the armrests and the legs and Aurors were standing in a circle around the chair. Each one looked even more menacing than the one before.

"Please bring in the prisoner" Kingsley's deep voice echoed off the walls surrounding them and to their left, two Aurors opened a door. Behind it stood the tall, slim figure of Narcissa Malfoy, accompanied by two more Aurors. Their wands were aimed at her chest. She was no longer dressed in her Azkaban rags and was instead dressed in a plain black dress. The blonde streaks in her hair were an even sharper feature now and Hermione gasped now that she was once again confronted with Narcissa. Beside her, Bellatrix moved to the edge of her seat.

As if she knew her sister was here, Narcissa turned around just before the Aurors sat her down in the chair. Her dark eyes met Bellatrix's across the distance of the room. It was just a second or two and yet it felt like a lifetime. Bellatrix shivered and Hermione watched how Narcissa sat down. The shackles automatically closed around her ankles and her wrists. The sound of the chains chilled Hermione to the bone. Whispers rose from the audience watching and she heard several people calling Narcissa names under their breath. Suddenly she was glad the Ministry had taken their wands upon arrival because she wasn't entirely sure Bellatrix wouldn't hex the ones talking bad about her sister.

"Please state your full name for the record" Kingsley said slowly.

Hermione admired how he managed to sound both kind and strict at the same time. The public had done well by choosing him, she thought. He was calm yet resolute. There was something comforting about his presence. She had always liked Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Narcissa Diantha Malfoy-Black" Narcissa answered without hesitation. Her voice was loud and clear and she held her head up high.

"Narcissa Malfoy, you have already spent numerous weeks in Azkaban and today you are here to stand trial on charges relating to your activities during the War" Kingsley read the information from the parchment in front of him, occasionally glancing at Narcissa. She remained motionless, her eyes fixed on him. Nothing about her posture betrayed any discomfort. "The charges are as follows; that you knowingly and willingly aided Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters in their attempts to murder and torture Muggle borns and Half Bloods. Is that correct?"

"I suppose..." Narcissa answered and there was a slight hesitation in her voice. "But you yourself know there were several lines that could be crossed, Minister. And I know you are aware of some of the other issues involved..."

"You are the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange-Black, are you not?" Kingsley questioned and Narcissa gave a quick nod. "And you were aware of the enchantment placed upon your sister from the day she was born with the intention of creating the perfect devotee for Voldemort?"

"Yes" Narcissa answered softly and Hermione could see her hands shake as they rested on the wooden armrests of the chair. She did not want to look at the witch because the longer she looked at her, the more intense the flashbacks became. But somehow she could not tear her eye away.

"How did you gain this knowledge?" Kingsley asked Narcissa and she shot a look in the direction of where Bellatrix and Hermione were sitting.

"I overheard my father, Cygnus Black, talk to my mother, Druella, when I was still a young girl. I... I asked him what was happening to Bella...He told me..." Narcissa answered and her voice was about to break. Suddenly she looked nothing at all like the deranged witch who had attacked Hermione at Malfoy Manor nor the deranged woman who had screamed at them in her cell in Azkaban.

"More information has come to our attention about this, Madame Malfoy. We have learnt that your Father in fact forced you into an Unbreakable Vow with your other sister, Andromeda, and made you swear never to tell the truth you Bellatrix. What did your Father tell you would happen if you did?" Kingsley asked and it was clear Narcissa was startled. She didn't know Kingsley knew about the Unbreakable Vow. Her eyes desperatly searched the courtroom and found Andromeda and Tonks.

"Andy..." she whispered, clearly bewildered and scared. She then looked back at Kingsley. "He told us that if we ever told Bellatrix the truth about the spell or her life, she would die and the spell would pass onto whoever had broken the enchantment, meaning we would be forced to become the next loyal lieutenant of Lord Voldemort"

"So you never told your sister the truth" Kingsley concluded and Narcissa nodded.

"Never"

"And this influenced your actions how..."

"I wanted to be beside her at all times. If I could not protect her in any way at least I could be there in case something happened. I knew Voldemort favoured her. He favoured her over my own husband and so did I. As long as she was number one, she was safe. If she was ever to fall from his grace, the consequences could be severe..." Narcissa spoke with a soft, almost subdued voice and swallowed. Tears sounded through her words. "Andromeda's choices in life and my Father's iron hand meant I had already lost one sister. I did not want to lose another... at all cost"

Kingsley picked up another role of parchment and unrolled it, breaking the red and gold seal that had previously kept it rolled up. Hermione recognised it even from this distance. It was her own written statement. Kingsley had asked her to write it leading up to the trial and she knew it held a detailed account of the moment Narcissa had told her the truth about Bellatrix. There was no mention about what had happened in the library. No mention of Bellatrix attacking Narcissa with the candle stick.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger, hereby testify that Narcissa Malfoy told me about the spell placed upon her sister Bellatrix Lestrange during my voluntary stay at Malfoy Manor. This information subsequently helped me break the enchantment and led to the freedom of Bellatrix..."

Hermione sat still. The parchment was enchanted and hearing her own voice echo through the courtroom was strangely chilling. It was dead quiet in the room, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Every possible set of eyes was fixed on Kingsley and his parchment. People seemed to have forgotten the real Hermione Granger was in this courtroom, sitting only a few feet away from Narcissa Malfoy. She stared at Bellatrix's sister, not quite sure how she was feeling. Beside her, Bellatrix was still perched on the edge of seat. Her hands had relaxed and her charcoal eyes had filled with tears. Her eyes solely rested on her sister and Hermione suspected Bellatrix wanted nothing more than to tear Narcissa out of her seat and hold her close, like she had done with Andromeda several weeks ago.

"Is it true you approached Severus Snape last year when Lord Voldemort instructed your son Draco to murder Albus Dumbledore?" Kingsley had put down the parchment and Hermione would swear she could see some form of pity in his eyes. She couldn't completely forget her loathing towards Narcissa and she doubted she could ever forgive her for what she had done and yet she felt a sense of regret now that she looked at her. So many things had happened and all of them had forced Narcissa to do the one thing she knew how to do well; protect her family.

"Yes" Narcissa answered, sounding rather a little bit stronger this time. Her fingers scratched against the wooden armrests and the chains of her restraints rattled hauntingly. "I made the Unbreakable Vow with him in which he promised to protect my son. I am sure Draco has told you all of this. This Vow and the fact that Severus was in fact still working for the Order, resulted in him murdering Albus Dumbledore instead of my son. Severus never broke his word, and nor did I. I may have had little to be respected for, let alone loved..."

Her words died there and her voice trailed off. Silence followed and people shared confused and puzzled looks. Whispers began to fill the courtroom and Kingsley took a few seconds for people to express their thoughts and emotions before picking up his little hammer and slamming it down on his bench a few times. Almost instantly, it went silent once again.

"We will hear your son's full testimony later, Mrs Malfoy. For now I am sending you back to the dungeons... You may call for visitors if you so wish..." Kingsley said and his eyes found Hermione and Bellatrix before Narcissa's did. When looked in their direction, Hermione suppressed the desire to scream at her. Instead, her hand slipped into Bellatrix's and the raven haired woman rose to her feet. People only now realised they were here and voices came to live as they descended down the narrow steps between the benches until they reached the floor. Narcissa was already gone and in the middle of the room only the wooden chair with the ankle and wrist shackles remained.

Across the room, Andromeda and Tonks had also made their way down the steps and met Hermione and Bellatrix at the bottom. Andromeda looked at her older sister. Both shared the same pained, tired expression and Hermione suspected Andromeda's nights had been as restless as Bellatrix's. The dark haired witch had barely slept in the last week.

"Do you want to see her?" Andromeda asked quietly and looked at Bellatrix. "Bella?"

"Yes, I think I do..." Bellatrix answered. "You?"

"I haven't seen her for more than twenty five years. Not until this day. If there is a chance they will be locking her up for goodness knows how many more... Yes, I want to see my sister..." Andromeda said and she looked at Hermione. The younger witch was slightly taken aback by the persistent look in Andromeda's chocolate brown eyes. "But before I do, I need for you to tell me the one thing neither of you has been willing to tell me. I know Narcissa did something you don't want to talk about. I knew it the night we met back at the house... And somehow it is not being addressed here in court, which means Hermione never told Kingsley..."

"Andy..." Hermione began but Bellatrix placed a hand on her arm before gently kissing Hermione on her hair. She sighed and looked at her lover. She didn't want Andromeda to know because it was tormenting enough to know Bellatrix remembered.

"Narcissa attacked Hermione during her time at the Manor" Bellatrix answered and when Andromeda didn't respond she sighed. "She attacked her in the same way I attacked Hermione whilst she was my prisoner. She... She did things Hermione would only let me do...And in return I attacked Narcissa.."

Andromeda covered her mouth with her hand and Hermione averted her eyes.

"I don't want you to judge Narcissa any different than you did before, Andy" she said and stared at the black marble courtroom floor. Her reflection looked distorted; almost like the way she felt inside. "She is your sister. She might go free today. Times were different then. We were all different..." She swallowed hard and hoped one day she could truly believe those words. "Nothing has changed"

"Come with us" said an Auror with dirty blonde hair and a mismatched suit. He had appeared behind them out of nowhere and startled the four witches. They followed him as on the bench Kingsley called for Lucius Malfoy. A door swung open and revealed the now almost broken figure of Lucius Malfoy. He resembled in no way the proud and arrogant man he had once been. He had stubble and his eyes were bloodshot and tired looking. Dark rings surrounded his eyes. His wife had been a picture of health whereas Lucius was almost a picture of forgotten madness.

Bellatrix froze as they past him and both she and Lucius looked at each other. Even now the rivalry between them had not died and Hermione wondered how much Lucius really knew about his wife's devotion to her sister. She had been willing to let her husband suffer in order to keep Bellatrix safe. It was Lucius who looked away first, his steel grey eyes cold and empty, and he continued his solemn walk towards the chair. Hermione could hear the chains rattle as they left the courtroom and began their journey down to the dungeons.

The corridors were dark and only scarcely lit by a few torches. Their shadows were more like eerie figures on the stone cold walls and Hermione shivered when a cold chill crept down her spine. Their footsteps echoed on and on and it sounded like a marching army was approaching. Eventually the Auror held still outside a metal gate. Bellatrix, who was in front, stood still too. It took her a few seconds before she found the strength to turn towards the cell and she found her sister sitting on the stone bench in the far left corner, partially hidden by the shadows. She hung her head but looked up now that the visitors had arrived.

"I did not think you would come..." she spoke softly and then looked past her eldest sister and discovered Andromeda behind her. "Andy..."

"Cissy..." Andromeda whispered as she stepped past Bellatrix and her fingers closed around the cold metal bars of the gate separating her from her sister.

It seemed no one quite knew what to say because silence followed. A silence in which the three sisters awkwardly looked at each other, lost for words to say. When Hermione eventually took Bellatrix's hand into her own, Narcissa realised she was there and her dark eyes widened in horror. Suddenly she seemed to cower into the corner of her cell.

"There is no need..." Hermione began but swallowed the rest of her sentence when the Auror that had brought them down here returned. He looked almost grim and filed past them without saying anything. He shot a brief look at Tonks, clearly recognising her, but still said nothing. With a flick of his wand, the lock opened and nervously, Narcissa stood up from the cold wooden bench she had been sitting on. She approached the gate carefully and waited for the Auror to open the gate. When he did, she stepped outside and now stood only a few inches away from her sisters but still they could not touch each other.

"Why are you taking her back to the court room?" Andromeda questioned and the Auror turned to her, clearly not caring much about the whole procedure.

"Minister of Magic said he is finished with her husband and is ready to pass judgment on this one..." he said with a degrading nod in Narcissa's direction. She hung her head as she followed him. With nervous looks Bellatrix, Hermione, Andromeda and Tonks followed as well. They entered the courtroom through the same door they had left but did not bother climbing back up the steps to the benched. They huddled together as Narcissa was guided back to the wooden chair. The restraints were no longer there, Hermione noticed and a sense of relief washed over her.

"Let's hope Kingsley is being sensible..." Andromeda whispered and Hermione noticed how she placed a hand on Bellatrix's arm.

"Let's hope he sentences Lucius to death..." Bellatrix growled and stared up at the Minister of Magic as he sat back down in his seat. Hermione searched for Bellatrix's hand and squeezed it. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage so loudly that it felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest. Her stomach had tightened itself into a knot and she couldn't even begin to imagine how her lover felt. Bellatrix's charcoal eyes rested on Narcissa, who sat herself down in the chair.

Kingsley's hammer landed on the side of his bench and the whispering voiced trailed off. Silence fell. His deep voice filled the courtroom, echoing off the walls. Every time he spoke, Hermione felt calm and she looked up to him. His dark eyes had fixed on Narcissa.

"Narcissa Diantha Malfoy-Black, the Wizengamot is ready to pass judgment. Is there anything you like to say before a verdict passed and sentencing determined?" Kingsley sounded peaceful, calm and reassuring.

"May I stand?" Narcissa asked and Kingsley gave a quick nod. Slowly, almost unsteady, Narcissa rose from her chair and looked around the courtroom, almost as if to take in the faces that had come to watch her here today. She did not doubt many of those present here would enjoy to see her fall even further from grace. And she expected many of them to hope she would be sentenced to Azkaban. But then her eyes finally found Bellatrix, Andromeda, Hermione and Tonks.

"I have no reason to ask for understanding, mercy or any form of kindness. I have no right to stand before you all and ask for forgiveness. I can merely stand here as the woman I am today – broken, alone and demoralised. The world I knew exists no longer. And nor does the world any of you all knew. Everything has changed and with change comes hurt. Hurt in ways no one can ever explain or put into words..." Narcissa said. Her voice was clear, loud and strong. "All I can say is that regret does not even begin to explain the way I feel about my actions. But I find hope in all of you. As here stands my sister... And the world has accepted her once again. And it is a lot to ask of someone... to accept them when your past is even darker than your name. So I stand here, finding hope in you all. Hope that there is still room for change and, regardless of the verdict passed about me and the sentence that comes with that verdict I rest assured that perhaps, one day, there will be a place for me too"

She slowly sat down, folded her hands back in her lap and hung her head. Whatever lay head of her now was in the hands of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Whatever lay ahead of her after today, lay in the hands of all of those present here today.

"Those in favour of conviction..." Kingsley spoke with a clear, strict and demanding voice and Hermione's eyes swept across the entire Wizengamot. She counted five hands, ten... Far less than half the amount of hands that was needed to convict Narcissa. In her chest her heart leapt up.

"Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges..." Kingsley concluded and a sea of hands rose up. Hermione did not bother counting them. There were way more than was needed for Narcissa to be freed. In her excitement, she grabbed Bellatrix hand and the raven haired witch turned to look at Hermione. Tears were trickling down Bellatrix's cheeks whilst Kingsley's hammer landed down on his bench. His booming voice filled the whole courtroom with those final words. "Cleared of all chargers"

Bellatrix's lips tenderly found Hermione's. It was a kiss that went unnoticed by so many. Her arms slipped around the younger witch's waist and she pulled her closer. Hermione could taste the salt of her tears but nevertheless her eyes fluttered shut and she answered the kiss.

"Thank you..." Bellatrix breathed when they parted and Hermione rested her forehead against Bellatrix's.

"She has hope..." Hermione answered and looked down at her fingers entwined with Bellatrix's. "We should all have hope"


	22. Chapter 22

_Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind  
~William Shakespeare  
A Midsummer Night's Dream_

**Chapter 21**

Do we believe in chance, in change and in hope? Do we even consider that all those things truly exist, or do we take every day for granted and do we forget to look further than what we can see? Because there is a chance for everything to be different, for nothing to be like we remembered. Or for us to change. To find that one thing, deep inside, that makes us realise things can change. That we have more than one chance to do things different, perhaps do them right. We have to give into the unknown. We have to give into the darkest depths of our foolish hearts and allow things to happen when we least expect it...

The pieces of parchment lay on the small table in the hall. They had been read over and over again since the large tawny owl delivered them immediately after diner. It had seemed unreal at first but the words were most definitely true – printed black on white. The two pieces of parchment had changed their lives even more. On Monday, a new chapter of their life would start; a chapter that would see them both working inside the Ministry. The letters had been signed by Kingsley Shacklebolt himself as he offered them a position. Hermione's name was now attached to the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Bellatrix's name had appeared on the list of new employees for the Department of Mysteries, in a sub department that wasn't specified on the piece of parchment but would be discussed in a meeting with Kingsley Shacklebolt on Monday morning.

Hermione glanced at the parchment before making her way towards the front door. She had read them over and over again. She and Bellatrix had been ecstatic and terrified and neither of them could wait for Monday to come and both of them also wished it would be Friday forever. They had not told anybody yet, as they had agreed they wanted to see whether they actually enjoyed their jobs, and they had promised each other to make the best out of it. Life was about to change and Hermione smiled to herself when that realisation sank in. She turned towards the open door and shook her head when she realised what her lover was doing.

"What are you doing out here? It's bloody raining!" Hermione stood in the open door of the Tudor house, wrapping her arms around herself as a cold gust of wind pulled at her hair. It was dark and it was late and the rain came pouring down. It had not stopped raining for the last two days and muddy pools of water had formed on the land surrounding the house. Even the pond had flooded and she had been forced to magically rescue the fish. But it was not the fish she was worrying about now. Bellatrix stood outside, soaking wet, staring up to the ink black sky as the rain poured down on her.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Bellatrix called back.

"Being a complete and utter stupid _arse_!" Hermione answered and grabbed her wand from her pocket, cast a protective enchantment over herself and stepped outside too. She quickly ran towards her lover and looked at Bellatrix. "Are you mental?"

"Some would find that description rather fitting, yes" Bellatrix smirked and looked at Hermione. Thick strands of black hair stuck to her forehead and her make-up had run out. Mascara was now plastered on her pale white skin. "I am standing out in the rain..."

"I can see that, smart ass. But WHY are you standing in the rain?" Hermione wanted to know and also looked up. The sky was ink black and packed with clouds. There wasn't a single star nor could she see the moon. She shot another glance at Bellatrix and couldn't help but think that her lover looked extremely endearing and cute with her wet ringlets and soaked skirt and shirt. Her burgundy red blouse clung to the curves of her body and drops of water seeped out of her skirt.

"I used to love standing in the rain when I was a child. I would often sneak out of the house without my parents noticing when I was young, just to stand in the rain..." Bellatrix answered and grabbed Hermione's hand. Instantly, Hermione's protective spell was broken and the rain poured down on her. The young brunette groaned and attempted to shield herself but it was useless. Her bushy hair was quickly reduced to sleek strings that stuck to the side of her head and she looked at her lover.

"Okay. So you like the rain. Fair enough..." she began but Bellatrix cut her off.

"It makes me think. It helps me organise my mind..." Bellatrix answered and cupped Hermione's hand with her cheek. "Much like you to write things down or research them in a book... And I was just thinking about today..."

"About Narcissa?" Hermione had to raise her voice as the rain came down even heavier now.

Bellatrix nodded and brushed some raindrops from her eyes. "For more than twenty five years our lives seemed so broken and no one ever thought that we would be able to talk to each other again. And here we are... three different people. Grown up, wiser too perhaps. The world is a different place and we all have to learn to see. We have each other..."

Hermione nodded. The same things had crossed her mind earlier today when they left the courtroom. Andromeda had offered for Narcissa to stay at the house she used to share with Ted. It was empty and lonely and loneliness was their worst enemy. Narcissa had accepted, rather shyly, and they had left together with Tonks after having said goodbye to Bellatrix and Hermione. It wasn't until Narcissa had hesitated to embrace her that Hermione realised that Narcissa too felt the awkwardness of what had happened between them at the Manor and Hermione had been the first to hug Narcissa instead. The look they shared when they parted said more than words ever could.

"It makes me realise you... you are alone..." Bellatrix said softly and Hermione looked up.

"What are you talking about? I have you and Andromeda and Tonks and Narcissa... and little Teddy..." Hermione said but she knew, deep down, what Bellatrix meant. Harry and Ron had still not come round. Remus had paid them a visit only a few days earlier saying Harry was still not prepared to see them and Hermione had realised it was perhaps time to consider giving up. How much longer could she keep trying for something that looked like it was already dead? Her friendship had clearly not been as valuable to Ron and Harry as it had been to her.

"Your friends have betrayed you. After everything you went through they still lack the ability to see beyond the past. They still wear their masks of hatred, are puppets that dance to old emotions..." Bellatrix said and shook her head. Drop of rain flew out of her curls and landed on Hermione. "I am sorry, Hermione. I wish things had been different..."

"If things had been different, you and I would not be standing here..." Hermione reminded her and she closed the short distance between her and Bellatrix. Softly, her lips captured Bellatrix and her arms wrapped around the older woman's waist, pulling her closer. They stood in the pouring rain, their bodies pressed together and Bellatrix's hands ran through Hermione's wet hair. They tasted sweetness laced with raindrops and the vague hint of tears though neither knew whose tears they were as both cried. The rain made it impossible to tell.

Hermione rested her forehead against Bellatrix's when they parted and rubbed the inside of her hand with her thumb. "Narcissa was right when she said she still had hope. I have thought about giving up on Harry and Ron but deep inside I know I shouldn't. Both are just still looking for the friend I once was and haven't quite seen the friend I can be. The day that they do, they will come find me. I have reminded them once before that they needed me. Nothing has changed... They still need me..."

"And you need them" Bellatrix finished Hermione's sentence and the younger witch nodded slowly.

"Yes, I do. And when they realise that, they will come to me..." she answered with a smile and grasped Bellatrix's hand, dragging her back in the direction of the house. "Now can we please go inside? We are going to catch our death out here!"

They hurried back inside and Hermione cast two spells that dried their clothes instantly before they ascended up the stairs to the second floor. In the bedroom, they stripped from their clothes and it was Hermione who lay down on the bed without bothering to shower. She rested on her side, her head on her arm and stared at the wall. Bellatrix watched her for a few seconds before lying down beside her, wrapping a warm, comfortable arm around Hermione's waist and pulling her into her. Hermione briefly closed her eyes under the warm touch but when she reopened them tears glistened behind her eyes.

"They will come round, my love. Eventually..." Bellatrix whispered and placed a kiss on Hermione's hair. Her fingers gently trailed down the length of her arm, drawing small figures along the way. Butterfly touches were followed by butterfly kisses and her warm lips caressed Hermione's skin. "And one day things will be exactly in the place life intended for them to be..."

"And until then?" Hermione questioned as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Her eyes were drawn to the silver scars on her lower arm. She hardly ever looked at them these days. They were still a memory but strangely one she had become to treasure. Now they were a reminder of the time she had last been with her friends and they had still viewed her as such. She had never once dared imagine that the word _Mudblood _would remind her of her friends.

How it had changed everything. She lay here with the woman she loved. A woman who loved her in return. Outside the rain drummed against the window, and raindrops were sliding down the darkened glass. It seemed things were falling into place. The Black sisters had been reunited once again, against all the odds. Lives had been spared, saved and changed. And a friendship had been lost. But she was happy, strangely happy, with her life. And on Monday they would start new jobs. The final thing that they had been waiting for and who knew what life would bring them then.

Carefully Hermione snuggled herself a little deeper into Bellatrix's body, trying to ignore the nerves and the pain inside, and shivered when the raven haired woman kissed the base of her neck. Life seemed normal for them now, as far as there was such a thing as normal.

"And until then, Bella...?"

"And until then life will just be what it has always has been, my love..." Bellatrix whispered and her lips were warm against Hermione's ear. She searched for her hand and found it. Tenderly, her fingers cherished Hermione's palm and she placed a few more kisses on her skin, her hair. "Life is a game of cheating and overcoming all the odds. Of finding strength and power in moments you never believed could give you that. It will be a game of recognising the betrayer amongst your friends and the truth inside yourself. Life will never be easy, my love. It will always be an endless masquerade..."

~()~

Neither Harry nor Ron ever came by. It was only Ginny who reluctantly greeted Hermione when George married Angelina and Mrs Weasley invited her and Bellatrix. Her words were cold and meaningless. Harry and Ron never left the corner of the room in which they were standing, their eyes blazing as they stared at Hermione and Bellatrix when they were escorted across the room by Mrs Weasley and her husband.

The Ministry was more welcoming and it seemed that Hermione that been right about Bellatrix's skills being useful for the Ministry of Magic. Kingsley had asked her to assist a newly formed department that was focusing on Dark magic used by foreign wizard and eliminating dangerous suspects who could pose a danger to their society. The department worked closely with the Auror department and Bellatrix saw rather a lot of her niece, Nymphadora Tonks, which both rather enjoyed. Hermione was now working for the Department of International Magical Cooperation and her new job had already sent her to Italy for two days and another trip to France was coming up soon.

The relationship with Narcissa was still somewhat strained. Since she had been set free from Azkaban she had struggled to find a place in society. People were more suspicious of her than they were of Bellatrix. Hermione wasn't excited about spending time with Narcissa, but she tried to be friendly, just for Bellatrix's sake. She knew her lover desired nothing more than for her family to be complete but Hermione never allowed herself to be in the same room with Narcissa alone. Neither of them spoke about what had happened. And she never brought it up with Bellatrix either. Narcissa was now living in an old Victorian townhouse in downtown London but had been unable to find a job. Hermione knew, from listening to others around her, that her life consisted of loneliness.

Days began to turn into weeks and weeks faded into months and before people realised it, a year had passed; a whole year in which everything had changed. The sun still rose every morning but cast its light upon another world. The eyes that greeted it every day no longer held fear. The people had changed. The iron grip of Voldemort, and the pain and darkness that came with it was long gone and for many, it was also forgotten. Only in fragments of broken memories did people realise what life had been like before but people tried hard to just forget.

Hermione woke up and blinked against the light falling through the partial open curtains. It was December and she smiled when she recognised the familiar shape of ice crystals against the glass. She rolled over and planted a soft kiss on Bellatrix's black hair. The woman beside her stirred and charcoal eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Morning" Hermione whispered and brushed a strand of hair out of Bellatrix's eyes.

"Morning to you too" Bellatrix whispered and smiled. She glanced over her shoulder at the window and her eyes lit up when she discovered the white crystals against the glass. "Did it snow!"

"You are such a child..." Hermione smirked and nodded. But the picture was perfect. Outside crystal white snow covered the grounds and the world looked like a picture of beauty and serenity. "Looks like it snowed, yes. Who would have thought, Bella... a white Christmas...?"

They were still living in the house Minerva McGonagall had given them the key to over a year ago. It had changed appearance and decorations a few times throughout the year, still suiting it to their needs and wishes. The Headmistress of Hogwarts occasionally came to visit and Hermione had invited her over for Christmas. People came and went as they pleased and Hermione had gotten used to seeing the people that had become her friendly so frequently. She enjoyed the sound of their voices, the echo of footsteps and the endless laughter.

Hermione nuzzled down against Bellatrix's shoulder and moaned softly when her lover ran her fingers through her busy brown hair. She looked up to her. "This is it now isn't it?"

"This is what, my love?" Bellatrix softly asked and placed her lips against Hermione's earlobe.

"Our life..." Hermione answered with a little smile. "Me, you... life..."

Bellatrix seemed to think about those words for a moment and then she carefully turned so she could look at the young brunette resting against her shoulder. "Yes, I think it is, Hermione. This is our life. You and me and the rest of the world..."

Hermione smiled and snuggled a little deeper into Bellatrix body. "I like it..."

The raven haired woman ignored the single tear sliding down her cheek. "Me too, my love. Me too..."


	23. Chapter 23

_The times are the masquerade of the eternities_  
_~Ralph Waldo Emerson_

**Epilogue**

And so it came to be that the foolish became wise. Still the dark depths of your heart are a mystery but you have learned so much more about yourself. The eyes you meet in the mirror belong still to you and also to another. And you have learned about her too. You learned to love her for who she was and never for what she destined to be. Love changes destinies. Your love changed her.

Perhaps you were meant to understand the foolish ways of your heart after all. You learned to listen and you learned to understand because nothing in this world is ever as simple, or as difficult, as it seems. Things happened when you least expected, and changed the future you thought you knew.

You look upon your friends and you see them in a different light. You look upon your enemies and see how they instead have befriended you. The faces you thought you recognised now merely belong to strangers.

Now you rest in her arms, taken away from your friends and still willingly waiting for them to recognise you in a crowd full of unknown faces. But it is her heartbeat you listen to before the slumber of sleep claims you. Unexplainable as it may be, there was something there... Something you had hidden inside of you; your endless ability to love those who never loved themselves.

We were never meant to understand the foolish depths of our hearts but you tried and you changed. And all you know is that you are now in the place where you most want to be.

Our hearts fool us into believing things we never knew. Friendship, love, courage and hope. And forever, our hearts will be the sole players in an endless masquerade.

* * *

End.

* * *

**I thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. I would never have been able to write this story had it not been for all your wonderful and amazing support. Thank you so much!**


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